What Salary the Average Family Needs To Live Comfortably in 101 Major US Cities

Life is getting more expensive for the average family across America. With inflation still being higher than usual, people are finding that they have to fork out a lot more money for the same goods and services they’ve always paid for — without a comparable boost in income.

What once determined comfortable living is not the same anymore. Location also affects how much you’ll need to live comfortably in the U.S., so that amount varies wildly depending on the city and state you live in. 

For example, if you live in midwestern or southern states like Ohio, Indiana, Oklahoma, Texas or Alabama, the average salary you’ll need to live comfortably is under $80,000 per year. On the other hand, living in cities in California, Rhode Island or New Jersey requires well over $100,000 to get by.

GOBankingRates analyzed the largest U.S. cities by population, as well as average monthly expenditures and salary, in a recent study. Here is the salary that the average family needs to live comfortably in 101 major U.S. cities.

Also, check out the salary a single person needs to live in every state.

• Salary needed: $143,317 
• Median household income: $78,954
• Monthly cost of living: $5,972

• Salary needed: $143,239 
• Median household income: $99,374 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,968

• Salary needed: $141,530 
• Median household income: $73,626 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,897

• Salary needed: $140,160 
• Median household income: $113,286 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,840 

• Salary needed: $138,764 
• Median household income: $85,311 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,782 

• Salary needed: $138,755 
• Median household income: $95,731 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,781 

• Salary needed: $137,989 
• Median household income: $86,759 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,750 

• Salary needed: $137,911 
• Median household income: $72,022 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,746 

• Salary needed: $137,844 
• Median household income: $46,460 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,743 

• Salary needed: $137,032 
• Median household income: $79,085 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,710 

• Salary needed: $137,023 
• Median household income: $61,323 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,709

• Salary needed: $135,226 
• Median household income: $100,876 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,634 

• Salary needed: $135,097 
• Median household income: $79,026 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,629 

• Salary needed: $134,860 
• Median household income: $73,375 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,619 

• Salary needed: $134,836 
• Median household income: $63,011 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,618 

• Salary needed: $134,485
• Median household income: $71,612
• Monthly cost of living: $5,604

• Salary needed: $133,446
• Median household income: $87,544
• Monthly cost of living: $5,560

• Salary needed: $131,826 
• Median household income: $74,895 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,493

• Salary needed: $131,426 
• Median household income: $78,631 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,476

• Salary needed: $131,119 
• Median household income: $77,655 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,463 

• Salary needed: $130,592 
• Median household income: $71,328 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,441

• Salary needed: $130,389 
• Median household income: $66,356 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,433 

• Salary needed: $130,021 
• Median household income: $73,766 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,418 

• Salary needed: $129,357 
• Median household income: $92,703 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,390 

• Salary needed: $128,951 
• Median household income: $72,092 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,373

• Salary needed: $127,482 
• Median household income: $72,474 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,312 

• Salary needed: $127,416 
• Median household income: $66,292 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,309 

• Salary needed: $126,013 
• Median household income: $66,375 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,251 

• Salary needed: $125,541 
• Median household income: $74,710 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,231 

• Salary needed: $125,472 
• Median household income: $71,774 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,228 

• Salary needed: $125,031 
• Median household income: $74,070 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,210 

• Salary needed: $124,389 
• Median household income: $61,365 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,183 

• Salary needed: $124,220 
• Median household income: $66,802 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,176 

• Salary needed: $123,893 
• Median household income: $63,001 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,162 

• Salary needed: $122,977 
• Median household income: $73,827 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,124 

• Salary needed: $122,871 
• Median household income: $59,606 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,120 

• Salary needed: $122,122 
• Median household income: $63,316 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,088 

• Salary needed: $120,053 
• Median household income: $76,332 
• Monthly cost of living: $5,002 

• Salary needed: $118,941 
• Median household income: $76,686 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,956 

• Salary needed: $116,181 
• Median household income: $67,846 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,841 

• Salary needed: $114,969 
• Median household income: $48,309 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,790 

• Salary needed: $114,758 
• Median household income: $63,985 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,782 

• Salary needed: $114,193 
• Median household income: $71,673 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,758 

• Salary needed: $113,591 
• Median household income: $76,626 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,733 

• Salary needed: $113,545 
• Median household income: $70,202 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,731 

• Salary needed: $113,459 
• Median household income: $85,943 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,727 

• Salary needed: $113,138 
• Median household income: $71,736 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,714 

• Salary needed: $111,113 
• Median household income: $72,726 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,630 

• Salary needed: $110,939 
• Median household income: $52,049 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,622

• Salary needed: $110,932 
• Median household income: $71,044 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,622

• Salary needed: $110,782 
• Median household income: $71,785 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,616 

• Salary needed: $110,502 
• Median household income: $64,138 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,604 

• Salary needed: $110,306 
• Median household income: $52,899 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,596 

• Salary needed: $110,093 
• Median household income: $61,503 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,587

• Salary needed: $109,839 
• Median household income: $60,998 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,577

• Salary needed: $107,770 
• Median household income: $57,703 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,490 

• Salary needed: $107,094 
• Median household income: $44,156 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,462 

• Salary needed: $107,033 
• Median household income: $63,355 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,460 

• Salary needed: $105,934 
• Median household income: $67,874 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,414

• Salary needed: $105,921 
• Median household income: $66,087 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,413 

• Salary needed: $104,843 
• Median household income: $60,440 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,368

• Salary needed: $104,668 
• Median household income: $46,184 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,361 

• Salary needed: $103,009 
• Median household income: $55,051 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,292 

• Salary needed: $102,863 
• Median household income: $62,994 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,286

• Salary needed: $102,596 
• Median household income: $60,187 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,275

• Salary needed: $102,590 
• Median household income: $54,416 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,275 

• Salary needed: $101,787 
• Median household income: $61,634 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,241 

• Salary needed: $100,915 
• Median household income: $59,593 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,205

• Salary needed: $100,230 
• Median household income: $57,537 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,176 

• Salary needed: $99,907 
• Median household income: $49,191 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,163 

• Salary needed: $98,474 
• Median household income: $65,256 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,103 

• Salary needed: $98,349 
• Median household income: $51,116 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,098 

• Salary needed: $97,826 
• Median household income: $50,155 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,076 

• Salary needed: $97,154 
• Median household income: $53,424 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,048 

• Salary needed: $97,004 
• Median household income: $60,712 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,042

• Salary needed: $96,826 
• Median household income: $59,110 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,034 

• Salary needed: $96,454 
• Median household income: $49,733 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,019

• Salary needed: $96,430 
• Median household income: $63,114 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,018

• Salary needed: $96,148 
• Median household income:  $58,734 
• Monthly cost of living: $4,006

• Salary needed: $95,666 
• Median household income: $64,449 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,986 

• Salary needed: $95,093 
• Median household income: $62,378 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,962 

• Salary needed: $94,442 
• Median household income: $56,648 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,935 

• Salary needed: $94,209 
• Median household income: $64,251 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,925 

• Salary needed: $94,104 
• Median household income: $58,233 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,921 

• Salary needed: $91,711 
• Median household income: $58,349 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,821 

• Salary needed: $91,590 
• Median household income: $55,710 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,816

• Salary needed: $90,665 
• Median household income: $58,697 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,778

• Salary needed: $90,177 
• Median household income: $48,524 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,757

• Salary needed: $88,281 
• Median household income: $60,928 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,678 

• Salary needed: $87,831 
• Median household income: $50,492 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,660 

• Salary needed: $87,572 
• Median household income: $54,561 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,649 

• Salary needed: $87,362 
• Median household income: $60,628 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,640 

• Salary needed: $86,220 
• Median household income: $46,735 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,592

• Salary needed: $84,553 
• Median household income: $48,090 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,523 

• Salary needed: $84,131 
• Median household income: $3,505 
• Monthly cost of living: $54,166

• Salary needed: $82,087 
• Median household income: $3,420 
• Monthly cost of living: $42,464 

• Salary needed: $81,088 
• Median household income: $3,379 
• Monthly cost of living: $46,596

• Salary needed: $80,759 
• Median household income: $3,365 
• Monthly cost of living: $45,967 

• Salary needed: $79,478 
• Median household income: $45,405 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,312 

• Salary needed: $78,703 
• Median household income: $3,279 
• Monthly cost of living: $37,271 

• Salary needed: $72,692 
• Median household income: $37,761 
• Monthly cost of living: $3,029 

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the largest US cities by population as sourced from the US Census American Community Survey. For each city a number of factors were found: total population, total households, and median household income all sourced from the US Census American Community Survey, livability index as sourced from AreaVibes, cost of living indexes as sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and average home value from April 2024 for single family homes as sourced from Zillow Home Value Index. To find the average expenditure costs, the cost of living indexes were used along with the average expenditure costs as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey for married couple with kids, as they represent an overall average of families who have at least one child. The average home value was used to find the average mortgage cost by assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate. Using the average expenditure cost and average mortgage, the total cost of living can be calculated. The cities were sorted to show the most populated cities with all data points available in order to find the average salary a family needs to live comfortably in 100 major US cities. All data was collected on and is up-to-date as-of May 30th, 2024.