The Salary Needed To Afford the 3 Biggest Cities in Every US Region

Before you move to one of America’s biggest cities (“biggest” in terms of largest annual population growth), it would certainly help to know that your annual salary would be able to make that move with you.

GOBankingRates has crunched the numbers — the populations, the annual cost of living and the average value of a single-family home — to determine exactly how much you’d need to make annually to live in such a city with a measure of comfort and enjoyment. And those cities were divided up by the Census-based four quadrants of America (Northeast, Midwest, South, West), selecting top-growing cities from each.

Hoping to hang your hat in Las Vegas? Considering a life-change in Seattle? Hoping for the mix of big-city perks and rustic culture of Kansas City? Be sure to find your dream city below and find out just how much it will cost to live there comfortably.

• Population: 1,593,208
• Annual cost of living: $42,502
• Single-family home average value: $220,413
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $85,005

• Population: 665,945
• Annual cost of living: $82,497
• Single-family home average value:$815,819
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $164,993

• Population: 8,622,467
• Annual cost of living: $87,955
• Single-family home average value: $789,032
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $175,909

• Population: 902,449
• Annual cost of living: $40,692
• Single-family home average value: $265,281
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $81,385

• Population: 505,958
• Annual cost of living: $39,622
• Single-family home average value: $244,129
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $79,244

• Population: 882,006
• Annual cost of living: $38,490
• Single-family home average value: $235,505
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $76,979

• Population: 924,663
• Annual cost of living: $45,670
• Single-family home average value: $307,958
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $91,341

• Population: 958,202
• Annual cost of living: $62,686
• Single-family home average value: $565,592
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $125,372

• Population: 950,203
• Annual cost of living: $45,194
• Single-family home average value: $311,030
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $90,388

• Population: 1,609,456
• Annual cost of living: $54,460
• Single-family home average value: $440,515
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $108,919

• Population: 644,835
• Annual cost of living: $56,382
• Single-family home average value: $452,326
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $112,763

• Population: 644,835
• Annual cost of living: $56,382
• Single-family home average value: $452,326
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $112,763

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the 50 largest U.S. cities by population and determined the salary needed to live comfortably in each one. GBR determined the top 50 cities by population using the 2022 U.S. Census American Community Survey, the most recent available. Using the same survey, GBR sourced 2022 total population, 2022 household median income, 2021 total population and 2021 household median income. Average single-family home values from July 2024 and July 2023 were sourced from the Zillow Home Value Index. By assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate (as sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data), the average mortgage costs were calculated. Cost-of-living indexes were sourced from BestPlaces. The national average expenditure costs for all residents were sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. Mortgage and expenditure costs were used to calculate the cost of living for each city. One-year changes for population, households and income were calculated for each city. Using the 50/30/20 rule (which states that needs should not exceed 50% of income), the household income to live comfortably was calculated for each city. The cities were sorted by year-over-year population growth. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Sept. 10, 2024.