8 Cities Where the Value of $100K Decreased the Most Last Year
Written by
David Nadelle
Edited by
Angela Corry
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It has been expensive to live in New York since the word “expensive” originated sometime in the early 17th century. A new study by SmartAsset included New York’s boroughs as cities, and three of them — Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens — landed in the top five of where a $100,000 salary goes least far.
SmartAsset looked at 69 of the largest cities in the U.S. to determine where in America $100,000 stretched the furthest, after accounting for applicable taxes and local cost of living premiums.
Here are the eight American cities where your $100,000 goes less far than it did a year ago.
8. Manhattan, New York
- Percentage increase in value of $100,000: -1.8%
- Value of $100k in 2025: $30,362
- Value of $100k in 2024: $30,914
No huge surprise here. Manhattan ranked eighth in percentage decrease year-over-year, but first in cities where $100,000 is worth the least ($30,362), per SmartAsset.
7. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Percentage increase in value of $100,000: -1.9%
- Value of $100k in 2025: $66,668
- Value of $100k in 2024: $67,926
New Orleans received a BestPlaces Cost of Living score of 101.6, indicating that the total cost of housing, food, daycare, transportation, healthcare, taxes and other essentials is 1.6% higher than the national average and 13.0% higher than the Louisiana average.
6. Nashville, Tennessee
- Percentage increase in value of $100,000: -2.3%
- Value of $100k in 2025: $79,543
- Value of $100k in 2024: $81,429
Given its many opportunities and attractions, popular Nashville is surprisingly 1% lower than the cost of living national average, according to the Nashville MLS site. However, your $100,000 is only worth $79,543 in 2025, 2.3% less than it was in 2024, per SmartAssets’s study.
5. Miami, Florida
- Percentage increase in value of $100,000: -2.7%
- Value of $100k in 2025: $64,991
- Value of $100k in 2024: $66,801
Back in 2022, CBS’s MoneyWatch deemed Florida the least affordable place to live in the U.S. 300,000 people moved to the Sunshine State between 2020 and 2021, and housing and renting trends subsequently rose. Miami’s typical rent takes up a whopping 60% of a household’s typical income.
4. Columbus, Ohio
- Percentage increase in value of $100,000: -3.0%
- Value of $100k in 2025: $77,647
- Value of $100k in 2024: $80,089
According to U.S. News & World Report, Columbus is the 61st “Best Place to Live” and the 47th “Best Place to Retire” in the USA. However, per SmartAsset, the value of $100,000, after accounting for taxes and local cost of living changes year-over-year, was deemed to be the fourth worst in America.
3. Phoenix, Arizona
- Percentage increase in value of $100,000: -3.1%
- Value of $100k in 2025: $71,688
- Value of $100k in 2024: $73,984
According to Apartments.com, you can expect to pay 4.0% more for groceries, 1.7% more for utilities and 5.2% more for transportation in Phoenix. Moreover, the cost of living is 4.1% more than the national average and housing is 15.6% more expensive than the national average, with rents ranging from $1,124 to $2,096.
2. Durham, North Carolina
- Percentage increase in value of $100,000: -4.1%
- Value of $100k in 2025: $71,371
- Value of $100k in 2024: $74,436
The cost of living in Durham is only 4% higher than the state average and right in line with the national percentage. However, as Rent Cafe points out, “Housing is the most significant expense for most American households.”
In Durham, the average monthly rent is $1,534 and the average home price is $502,455. Housing is 26% higher than the state average and 8% higher than the national average.
1. Queens, New York
- Percentage increase in value of $100,000: -6.5%
- Value of $100k in 2025: $46,708
- Value of $100k in 2024: $49,978
Living in Queens is more affordable than in Manhattan, but “The World’s Borough” has a cost of living that is 42% more than the national average and 13% higher than the state average (and a housing cost of living 123% greater than the national average!), according to RentCafe.com.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for cities where $100,000 will stretch the furthest, check out the Oklahoma and Texas cities like Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and El Paso and Corpus Christi. Texas hasn’t state or local taxes and Oklahoma benefits from a favorable low cost of living, per SmartAsset.
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