8 Best Suburbs Where You Can Live Comfortably on a Salary Under $100K
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Angela Corry
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Earning a six-figure salary used to be one of the surest signs of financial success. That’s still valid – to a point. The median household income in the United States was $80,610 a year in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For individual workers, median earnings are $1,165 a week or $60,580 a year, per the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.
Given those numbers, you’re still doing pretty well if you earn at least $100,000 a year — as long as you live in the right place. In the most expensive American cities, $100,000 a year won’t even pay the basic bills, let alone let you live comfortably. But in some places, you can get by very well on an annual income below $100,000.
GOBankingRates recently analyzed suburban areas across the country to find the household salary needed to live comfortably, using Niche.com’s “2024 Best Suburbs in America” as a starting point. The analysis looked at data from the Census Bureau, BLS, AreaVibes, Zillow and Federal Reserve. Suburbs were rated on metrics such as living costs, home values, household income and livability.
Based on the GOBankingRates study, here are the eight best suburbs where you can live comfortably on less than $100,000 a year.
Ottawa Hills, Ohio
- Annual household income needed to live comfortably: $97,689
- Total cost of living per year: $48,844
- Average single-family home value: $406,943
- Livability score (out of 100): 88
Okemos, Michigan
- Annual household income needed to live comfortably: $97,556
- Total cost of living per year: $48,78
- Average single-family home value: $387,186
- Livability score: 84
Richmond Heights, Missouri
- Annual household income needed to live comfortably: $93,712
- Total cost of living per year: $46,856
- Average single-family home value: $359,310
- Livability score: 83
Decatur, Georgia
- Annual household income needed to live comfortably: $92,485
- Total cost of living per year: $46,242
- Average single-family home value: $306,304
- Livability score: 87
Brentwood, Missouri
- Annual household income needed to live comfortably: $90,216
- Total cost of living per year: $45,108
- Average single-family home value: $334,486
- Livability score: 83
Lauderdale, Minnesota
- Annual household income needed to live comfortably: $88,535
- Total cost of living per year: $44,267
- Average single-family home value: $315,122
- Livability score: 86
Berkley, Michigan
- Annual household income needed to live comfortably: $88,373
- Total cost of living per year: $44,186
- Average single-family home value: $302,634
- Livability score: 91
Rock Hill, Missouri
- Annual household income needed to live comfortably: $86,117
- Total cost of living per year: $43,059
- Average single-family home value: $297,383
- Livability score: 76
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