Best Place To Live on a $100,000 Salary in Every State

America is nothing if not diverse. There are plenty of cities where you can afford to live comfortably, or even be “rich,” for less than $100,000. Which location draws your interest could depend on a number of factors, ranging from those that are up-and-coming cities to those that are the best cities to raise a family. Overall, the best cities to live in generally have high livability scores and affordable costs so that you can take home more of your salary.

GOBankingRates analyzed data from a number of sources, ranging from AreaVibes to Zillow and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to compile this list of the best places to live on a $100,000 salary in each state (Hawaii was excluded due to a lack of data availability). To make this list, each city’s total cost-of-living expenditures could not exceed $100,000.

Factors assessed included median incomes, affordability, amenities and quality of life. Although these aren’t necessarily recommendations on where to live, the list may draw attention to locations that don’t appear on all of the typical “best places” lists but just might be some of the best cities in America.

Last updated: April 3, 2019

Alabama: Vestavia Hills

• Median income: $98,653
• Income needed to live comfortably: $86,806
• Livability score: 88

Vestavia Hills is a bit of an upscale neighborhood, as indicated by both the median income and income needed to live comfortably. However, grocery costs in Vestavia Hills are quite low on a national basis, and transportation and miscellaneous costs are also below average.

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Alaska: Juneau

• Median income: $90,749
• Income needed to live comfortably: $78,688
• Livability score: 54

Alaska is known as an expensive state, and Juneau is an expensive city. However, many costs in Juneau are actually far below average. Utilities are only about 83% of the national average, and transportation costs are about 34% below average.

Arizona: Gilbert

• Median income: $87,566
• Income needed to live comfortably: $81,189
• Livability score: 84

Gilbert has high relative transportation costs, but below-average grocery bills and A-plus amenities help make the city one of the most livable in America. Median incomes are about $6,400 above the income needed to live comfortably.

Arkansas: Bentonville

• Median income: $79,259
• Income needed to live comfortably: $66,048
• Livability score: 86

The median income in Bentonville might not be the highest in the nation, but residents likely feel wealthy because the income needed to live comfortably is more than $13,000 lower. The city boasts low costs in a number of areas, including housing, transportation, groceries and utilities.

California: Folsom

• Median income: $106,718
• Income needed to live comfortably: $97,182
• Livability score: 80

Costs in Folsom are generally above average across the board, as one might expect in a city that boasts a median income of over $100,000. However, costs to live comfortably fall more than $9,000 below this median income, thanks in part to healthcare costs about 10% below the national average, making the city very livable.

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Colorado: Parker

• Median income: $105,373
• Income needed to live comfortably: $99,157
• Livability score: 78

In addition to a beautiful setting, residents of Parker enjoy below-average healthcare, utility and grocery costs. The city’s A-plus amenities give it an overall high livability score.

Connecticut: West Hartford

• Median income: $95,298
• Income needed to live comfortably: $93,582
• Livability score: 79

Costs across the board are above average in West Hartford, pushing the income needed to live comfortably close to the median income. However, because that median income is above $95,000, those costs are more readily absorbed by the city’s residents, who enjoy top amenities, including a plethora of restaurants and local boutiques.

Delaware: Pike Creek

• Median income: $122,722
• Income needed to live comfortably: $76,998
• Livability score: 79

Pike Creek, Delaware, has a very high median income, relatively speaking, along with one of the highest variances between that income and the income needed to live comfortably. Costs for necessities such as utilities and healthcare are a bit above average, but not enough to encroach on the livability of the city.

Florida: Lake Mary

• Median income: $92,148
• Income needed to live comfortably: $83,826
• Livability score: 83

Although transportation costs in Lake Mary are about 28% above the national average, costs for all other primary necessities, such as utilities, healthcare and groceries, are below average. As a city with a median income of over $92,000, that’s enough to give Lake Mary top billing in the state of Florida.

Georgia: Johns Creek

• Median income: $113,609
• Income needed to live comfortably: $95,732
• Livability score: 85

Transportation costs in Johns Creek, Georgia, are a whopping 51% above the national average. However, because other costs are moderate, the median income of over $113,000 gives residents plenty of cushion to enjoy a comfortable life in a very livable city.

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Idaho: Meridian

• Median income: $64,375
• Income needed to live comfortably: $71,445
• Livability score: 82

With the exception of transportation costs, which are a slight 1% above the national norm, costs are low in Meridian, Idaho. Although the median income doesn’t quite cover the income needed to live comfortably, it’s nearly $30,000 per year above the annual cost of necessities.

Illinois: Libertyville

• Median income: $126,406
• Income needed to live comfortably: $99,882
• Livability score: 76

Even with miscellaneous costs 12% above the national average, residents of Libertyville, Illinois, enjoy high median incomes that are nearly $77,000 above the cost of necessities. The income needed to live comfortably is right at the top of the limit for this survey, coming in just under $100,000; but median incomes top this figure by a large amount.

Indiana: Carmel

• Median income: $109,201
• Income needed to live comfortably: $88,224
• Livability score: 86

Low healthcare, utilities and grocery costs help make Carmel, Indiana, a great place to live for under $100,000. Miscellaneous costs run about 10% above average, but a high median income gives city residents more than $30,000 of breathing room above the comfortable living level.

Iowa: Clive

• Median income: $94,907
• Income needed to live comfortably: $79,235
• Livability score: 89

Healthcare costs exceed national averages by about 11%, but costs of other necessities are below average in Clive, Iowa. As a result, the median income in the city exceeds the “comfortable living income” by more than $15,000, a comfortable margin in a city with a number of great amenities.

Kansas: Prairie Village

• Median income: $84,106
• Income needed to live comfortably: $79,663
• Livability score: 90

With the exception of grocery costs, which come in about 7% below national averages, costs run fairly high in Prairie Village, Kansas. This tightens the spread between the city’s median income and the income needed to live comfortably, but there’s still enough margin to give the city top marks in the state.

Kentucky: Prospect

• Median income: $113,711
• Income needed to live comfortably: $95,701
• Livability score: 79

Prospect, Kentucky, only manages a B grade when it comes to amenities, but the low cost of most necessities coupled with a high median income propel the city to the top of the charts in the state. High transport costs are the only black mark when it comes to expenses, running about 22% above national averages.

Louisiana: Prairieville

• Median income: $98,130
• Income needed to live comfortably: $79,345
• Livability score: 79

Transportation costs are a whopping 47% above average in Prairieville, and the city’s amenities only garner a B-plus rating. However, the city has one of the highest median incomes in the entire state, and other costs remain low, giving residents ample financial cushion to live a comfortable life.

Maine: Scarborough

• Median income: $69,761
• Income needed to live comfortably: $84,209
• Livability score: 71

Scarborough, Maine, has a low overall median income, which hurts the city’s livability score. The income needed to live comfortably in the city runs nearly $15,000 above that low median income, thanks to grocery, utility and miscellaneous costs that run above average.

Maryland: Severna Park

• Median income: $132,310
• Income needed to live comfortably: $98,601
• Livability score: 74

The cost of necessities in Severna Park is mostly above average, with utilities, transportation and miscellaneous costs all running high. The city’s high median income is more than enough to cover these costs, however, and its residents enjoy its top-notch amenities.

Massachusetts: Wilmington

• Median income: $118,549
• Income needed to live comfortably: $99,642
• Livability score: 72

A $100,000 income is barely enough to live a comfortable life in pricey Wilmington, Massachusetts. Fortunately for residents, the city has a high median income, enough to achieve a cushion of about $18,000 in excess income. Wilmington is another city that offers a number of quality amenities.

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Michigan: Troy

• Median income: $93,017
• Income needed to live comfortably: $89,127
• Livability score: 87

Boasting a high livability score and A-plus amenities, Troy is the top city in Michigan that you can live in comfortably for under $100,000. Transportation costs run a significant 36% above average, but this is partially offset by healthcare costs 17% below average.

Minnesota: Eden Prairie

• Median income: $103,426
• Income needed to live comfortably: $88,569
• Livability score: 82

Eden Prairie residents enjoy a high livability score, A-plus amenities and an overall moderate cost of necessities, marred only by transportation costs 21% above average. Median incomes are well above the income needed to live comfortably.

Mississippi: Madison

• Median income: $103,121
• Income needed to live comfortably: $81,490
• Livability score: 79

As the city with the highest median income in the state of Mississippi, Madison residents easily clear the income level needed to live comfortably in the city. Expenses for necessities overall are a bit below average, with only miscellaneous and healthcare costs ticking slightly above national averages.

Missouri: Ballwin

• Median income: $88,913
• Income needed to live comfortably: $79,467
• Livability score: 88

Ballwin residents don’t earn anything close to the highest median income in the state, but the city still tops the charts when it comes to best places to live in Missouri for less than $100,000. A high livability score, coupled with top-tier amenities and low overall costs push Ballwin to the top of the list.

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Montana: Shepherd

• Median income: $78,036
• Income needed to live comfortably: $69,981
• Livability score: 73

Shepherd, Montana, has a relatively low median income, but residents enjoy a comfortable life due to lower-than-average overall expenses for necessities. However, amenities in the city earn a very low D-minus grade.

Nebraska: Papillion

• Median income: $76,259
• Income needed to live comfortably: $79,978
• Livability score: 89

Healthcare costs in Papillion are 25% above average, but total necessities in this top Nebraska city run below average. Median incomes aren’t quite up to par with the income needed to live comfortably, but residents enjoy a high livability score and A-plus amenities.

Nevada: Henderson

• Median income: $66,939
• Income needed to live comfortably: $77,989
• Livability score: 81

Transportation costs in this Nevada city just outside of Las Vegas run 37% above average, and median incomes are low — about $8,000 below what’s needed to live comfortably in the city. Nonetheless, Henderson residents enjoy A-plus amenities and a good livability score.

New Hampshire: Portsmouth

• Median income: $72,384
• Income needed to live comfortably: $90,995
• Livability score: 82

Median incomes in Portsmouth are far below the amount needed to live comfortably in this expensive New Hampshire city. Grocery, utility and miscellaneous costs are all above average, while median incomes are moderate.

New Jersey: Moorestown-Lenola

• Median income: $114,978
• Income needed to live comfortably: $95,789
• Livability score: 82

Costs are high across the board in Moorestown-Lenola, with transportation costs leading the way at 32% above average. The cost of utilities comes in at 13% above average. These costs push the income needed to live comfortably close to $100,000. On a statewide basis, however, these costs remain relatively low, and the median income is enough to give residents a comfortable living.

New Mexico: Los Alamos

• Median income: $101,399
• Income needed to live comfortably: $69,096
• Livability score: 78

The combination of one of the highest incomes in the state of New Mexico and the low cost of necessities pushes Los Alamos to top honors in the state. This historical home of the Manhattan Project benefits from transportation costs — a dramatic 29% below the national average — while grocery, healthcare and utility costs are also low.

New York: Saratoga Springs

• Median income: $76,775
• Income needed to live comfortably: $86,999
• Livability score: 75

Saratoga Springs has a nice livability score and modest costs across the board for necessities. The biggest burdens for residents are miscellaneous costs, which run 8% above average. However, the average citizen still doesn’t earn enough to live comfortably, as the median income falls over $10,000 below that level.

North Carolina: Morrisville

• Median income: $95,763
• Income needed to live comfortably: $75,617
• Livability score: 88

Morrisville, North Carolina, residents enjoy a city with a high livability score, top-notch amenities and a relatively low income needed to live comfortably. Median incomes clear this hurdle by more than $20,000 per year, partially because costs in every category of necessities are about average.

North Dakota: West Fargo

• Median income: $76,925
• Income needed to live comfortably: $67,832
• Livability score: 81

With utilities and healthcare costing 11% and 24% less than the national averages, respectively, West Fargo residents reside in the top North Dakota city to live in for less than $100,000. Total costs are so low in this city that even the moderate median income affords residents a comfortable financial cushion.

Ohio: Springboro

• Median income: $104,063
• Income needed to live comfortably: $79,539
• Livability score: 87

With the exception of miscellaneous costs, which are 6% above average, the cost of necessities runs below average in Springboro, Ohio. Combined with the high median income in the city, Springboro residents can easily live quite comfortably and enjoy the city’s A-plus amenities.

Oklahoma: Edmond

• Median income: $76,008
• Income needed to live comfortably: $74,280
• Livability score: 89

Another city where amenities were rated an A-plus, Edmond City has a high livability index and a median income that just about matches the income needed to live comfortably. Residents may feel a pinch a bit when it comes to transportation and healthcare costs, which run 9% and 19% above average, respectively.

Oregon: West Linn

• Median income: $100,188
• Income needed to live comfortably: $98,658
• Livability score: 81

Costs in West Linn are high overall, pushing the income needed to live comfortably dangerously close to $100,000. Transportation costs are particularly troublesome as well, at 45% above average, but they are offset to some extent by the city’s low healthcare and utility expenses, at 16% and 17% below average, respectively.

Pennsylvania: Upper St. Clair

• Median income: $116,701
• Income needed to live comfortably: $90,019
• Livability score: 85

Transportation costs in Upper St. Clair are 31% above average, which would make the city too expensive for average earners. However, Upper St. Clair has a very high median income, allowing its residents to live comfortably despite those higher costs. A high livability score and A-plus amenities are big draws for the city.

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Rhode Island: Cumberland Hill

• Median income: $83,168
• Income needed to live comfortably: $82,633
• Livability score: 70

With the exception of healthcare costs, which are 17% below average, all basic necessities in Cumberland Hill are above average. Transportation and miscellaneous costs are particularly expensive, running 27% and 25% above average, respectively. Although the city’s livability score is relatively low, it did obtain the highest score for amenities.

South Carolina: Mount Pleasant

• Median income: $90,454
• Income needed to live comfortably: $96,542
• Livability score: 82

Mount Pleasant residents have an above-average median income, but it’s not enough to keep up with the high costs in the city. Utility, transportation and miscellaneous costs are all above average, pushing the income needed to live comfortably about $6,000 above the city’s median income.

South Dakota: Brandon

• Median income: $80,727
• Income needed to live comfortably: $66,658
• Livability score: 83

The cost of necessities ranging from groceries to utilities, healthcare and transportation are all below average in Brandon, bringing the income needed to live comfortably down quite significantly. Even the moderate median income in Brandon is enough to more than adequately cover the cost of living.

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Tennessee: Collierville

• Median income: $113,957
• Income needed to live comfortably: $92,694
• Livability score: 87

Even with healthcare costs 30% above the national average and transportation costs at 12% above the national average, living in Collierville is quite pleasant and affordable. Thanks in no small part to the city’s high median income, residents can comfortably enjoy the city’s A-plus amenities.

Texas: Cinco Ranch

• Median income: $141,992
• Income needed to live comfortably: $99,043
• Livability score: 93

Cinco Ranch supports the notion that “everything is bigger in Texas,” as the city has both an outsized median income and a high cost of living. Transportation costs cause the most damage in Cinco Ranch, running 46% above the national average. However, the city also has one of the highest livability scores in the entire survey.

Utah: South Jordan

• Median income: $99,856
• Income needed to live comfortably: $83,411
• Livability score: 74

South Jordan’s transportation costs run 12% above the national average, but beyond that, the cost of necessities such as healthcare, utilities and groceries are right in line. As befitting a city in the beautiful state of Utah, South Jordan offers A-plus amenities.

Vermont: South Burlington

• Median income: $66,197
• Income needed to live comfortably: $88,935
• Livability score: 72

South Burlington is another city that received a top grade for its amenities, and you can live comfortably there for less than $90,000. Unfortunately, the median income in the city falls more than $22,000 beneath this level, meaning many of the city’s own residents can’t yet enjoy that comfortable life there.

Virginia: Reston

• Median income: $113,708
• Income needed to live comfortably: $95,852
• Livability score: 78

Reston, Virginia, residents enjoy a high median income, which is a good thing because costs in the city run fairly high. Topped by transportation and miscellaneous expenses that run 46% and 21% above the national average, respectively, residents must pay a high price to enjoy the city’s amenities.

Washington: Maple Valley

• Median income: $102,130
• Income needed to live comfortably: $98,775
• Livability score: 81

It’s a tale of two cities in Maple Valley, Washington. Utilities cost residents 27% less than the national average, and healthcare costs run 18% lower. However, transportation costs are off the chart, at 176% of the national average. The median income in the city pays just enough for residents to live comfortably.

West Virginia: Teays Valley

• Median income: $79,722
• Income needed to live comfortably: $63,642
• Livability score: 81

West Virginia is not a high-income state, but the median income in Teays Valley is more than enough to cover the city’s low costs comfortably. Only transportation costs run 2% over the national average, while utilities, groceries, healthcare and miscellaneous costs are all at or below national averages.

Wisconsin: Pewaukee

• Median income: $92,000
• Income needed to live comfortably: $87,006
• Livability score: 78

With the exception of groceries, which are slightly more than 9% below the national average, costs of necessities in Pewaukee, ranging from groceries to utilities and healthcare, are a bit above average. The median income pays just a bit more than the cost of living comfortably in the city.

Wyoming: Gillette

• Median income: $74,348
• Income needed to live comfortably: $64,233
• Livability score: 79

The median income in Gillette is fairly low, but so is the cost of living, even with healthcare expenses running 33% above the national average. This is offset at least partially by the low costs of transportation and utilities. Net net, Gillette is one of the most affordable cities in the survey that still sport A-plus amenities.

Best Place To Live on a $100K Salary in Every State

Even if you don’t make enough to meet the “live comfortably” income in the major U.S. city of your choice, there are plenty of cities — both on this list and in the areas surrounding these cities — with low costs that still maintain high livability scores and A-plus amenities similar to those found in the more well-known metropolises. When picking a place to live, it’s crucial you consider the difference in your household income and that of the city’s “live comfortably” income.

For example, whereas a place like Henderson, Nevada, might offer a lower “live comfortably” income than that of a place like South Jordan, Utah — $77,989 compared with $83,411 — South Jordan’s median household income of $99,856 is significantly higher than Henderson’s median household income of $66,939. This makes South Jordan a far better value, as the average resident makes $16,445 more than the city’s “live comfortably” income.

If you’re planning on purchasing a home rather than renting, be sure to also research home values in the areas you are considering to see if prices are trending upward, which could affect the required “live comfortably” income of the city in the near future.

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Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the best places to live on a $100,000 salary in each state by analyzing cities along this criteria: (1) minimum number of households is 5,000; for less populated states or states with fewer average households per city, 1,000 was the minimum; (2) livability score, sourced from AreaVibes; (3) amenities score, sourced from AreaVibes; (4) itemized cost of living index for groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare and miscellaneous expenditures, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey, which were adjusted to each city’s local cost of living, sourced from Sperling’s Best Places; (5) median rent, sourced from Zillow’s February 2019 rental price index; Trulia was used also for rental data that was unavailable from Zillow. In order to qualify as a “best” city, the total cost of living expenditures could not exceed $100,000. The list of cities was compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey and includes all cities the Census Bureau has complete data for.

Photo Disclaimer: Some photos are for representational purposes only, and therefore may only reflect the metropolitan area the city is located in.

About the Author

John Csiszar

After earning a B.A. in English with a Specialization in Business from UCLA, John Csiszar worked in the financial services industry as a registered representative for 18 years. Along the way, Csiszar earned both Certified Financial Planner and Registered Investment Adviser designations, in addition to being licensed as a life agent, while working for both a major Wall Street wirehouse and for his own investment advisory firm. During his time as an advisor, Csiszar managed over $100 million in client assets while providing individualized investment plans for hundreds of clients.

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