How Much It Costs To Live Comfortably in 20 Major Southern Cities

America is a large country, and the cost of living varies dramatically from region to region, state to state and city to city. For example, Hawaii is the most expensive state in the nation, requiring residents to earn a living wage of nearly $133,000 per year to make ends meet. On the other hand, you can get by in the cheapest state, Mississippi, with just $52,000 annually.

GOBankingRates recently examined how much money you need to live comfortably in 20 major Southern cities. Here’s what it costs as a renter and homeowner in the most populated metropolises.

• Median household income: $56,019 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $83,579
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $82,598

The average annual mortgage cost is $19,068, and the average annual rent cost is $19,559.

• Median household income: $55,084 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $77,265.47
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $79,038.80

The average annual mortgage cost is $18,826, and the average annual rent cost is $17,939. 

• Median household income: $58,231 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $87,779.45
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $91,280.32

The average annual mortgage cost is $23,139, and the average annual rent cost is $21,388. 

• Median household income: $78,965 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $89,689
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $127,124

The average annual mortgage cost is $41,473, and the average annual rent cost is $22,756. 

• Median household income: $58,263 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $84,521
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $87,642 

The average annual mortgage cost is $22,019, and the average annual rent cost is $20,458. 

• Median household income: $68,367 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $86,929
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $97,639

The average annual mortgage cost is $27,625, and the average annual rent cost is $22,270. 

• Median household income: $67,927 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $87,407
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $88,955

The average annual mortgage cost is $22,136, and the average annual rent cost is $21,362. 

• Median household income: $93,547 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $111,019
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $153,652

The average annual mortgage cost is $51,685, and the average annual rent cost is $30,368. 

• Median household income: $59,679 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $72,492
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $70,870

The average annual mortgage cost is $14,190, and the average annual rent cost is $15,001. 

• Median household income: $58,357 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $73,670
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $75,445

The average annual mortgage cost is $16,775, and the average annual rent cost is $15,888. 

• Median household income: $54,124 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $84,912
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $69,659

The average annual mortgage cost is $12,376, and the average annual rent cost is $20,002. 

• Median household income: $51,325 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $77,011
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $69,729

The average annual mortgage cost is $14,637, and the average annual rent cost is $18,278. 

• Median household income: $69,164 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $94,465
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $105,626

The average annual mortgage cost is $29,864, and the average annual rent cost is $24,283. 

• Median household income: $72,996 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $82,803
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $102,651

The average annual mortgage cost is $30,554, and the average annual rent cost is $20,631. 

• Median household income: $47,860 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $126,489
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $133,707

The average annual mortgage cost is $42,303, and the average annual rent cost is $38,694. 

• Median household income: $81,810 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $87,671
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $98,400

The average annual mortgage cost is $27,142, and the average annual rent cost is $21,777. 

• Median household income: $52,438 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $71,478
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $69,375

The average annual mortgage cost is $13,946.10, and the average annual rent cost is $14,997.55. 

• Median household income: $45,594 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $87,515
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $82,486

The average annual mortgage cost is $18,297, and the average annual rent cost is $20,811. 

• Median household income: $59,893 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $98,250
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $101,761

The average annual mortgage cost is $28,407, and the average annual rent cost is $26,652. 

• Median household income: $65,481 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $89,844
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $93,527

The average annual mortgage cost is $22,634, and the average annual rent cost is $20,793. 

_{Methodology: To find How Much You Need to Live Comfortably in Major Southern Cities, GOBankingRates analyzed the top 50 populated US cities for the following factors; [1] May 2023 Home Value for Single Family Homes, [2] May 2023 Rent Prices, both sourced from Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rental Index, Cost of Living Indexes for each city by expenditure; [3] Cost of Living Index for Groceries,[4] Cost of Living Index for Transportation, [5] Cost of Living Index for Healthcare, [6] Cost of Living Index for Utilities all sourced from Sperlings’ Best Places. These indexes were multiplied by the median annual expenditure cost for each category as sourced from the 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. GOBankingRates then calculated an annual cost of a 30-year mortgage amount using the 30-Year National Fixed Rate Mortgage Rate sourced from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. With all these factors, GOBankingRates used the 50/30/20 rule to calculate the required salary someone would need to earn to live comfortably in each city and sorted the data. Southern states include AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WV. All information is up to date as of June 27, 2023.}