If you earn $50,000 a year in San Francisco or New York City, you undoubtedly will need a roommate — or three — to make ends meet. But in many cities in the United States, $50,000 a year is plenty to live on.
From Alabama to Wyoming: The Cost of Living Across America
Learn More: The Cost To Own a 3-Bedroom Home in Every State
So what sort of enclaves against high costs are out there? GOBankingRates compiled the places in each state that are best suited to someone earning $50,000 a year — with a cost of living that will allow them to save for the future as well as cover costs in the present. The study identified towns with at least 5,000 households and a median income between $45,000 and $50,000 a year using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, then looked at the basic cost of living as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The city with the most left over from $50,000 after covering expenses in each state was selected. For Alaska, Hawaii, Maryland and North Dakota, income restrictions were relaxed.
Every state in the U.S. has options on where you can live on less than $50,000.
Take a look and see where you could live in your area to stretch your salary that much further.
Last updated: June 21, 2021
Montgomery, Alabama
- Median income: $48,011
- Total annual necessities: $20,775
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $29,225
Check Out: How Far a $100K Salary Goes in America’s 50 Largest Cities
Fairbanks, Alaska
- Median income: $62,602
- Total annual necessities: $30,786
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $19,214
Kingman, Arizona
- Median income: $49,029
- Total annual necessities: $23,723
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $26,277
Find Out: 50 Cities Where It’s Cheaper To Buy a Home Than Rent
Paragould, Arkansas
- Median income: $45,841
- Total annual necessities: $20,140
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $29,860
Pictured: St. Francis River in Arkansas
El Centro, California
- Median income: $47,864
- Total annual necessities: $25,803
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $24,197
Sterling, Colorado
- Median income: $45,647
- Total annual necessities: $22,545
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $27,455
New London, Connecticut
- Median income: $46,298
- Total annual necessities: $24,551
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $25,449
Wilmington, Delaware
- Median income: $45,032
- Total annual necessities: $24,426
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $25,574
Myrtle Grove, Florida
- Median income: $47,941
- Total annual necessities: $22,900
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $27,100
Columbus, Georgia
- Median income: $46,408
- Total annual necessities: $20,439
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $29,561
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Hilo, Hawaii
- Median income: $63,283
- Total annual necessities: $37,648
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $12,352
Pocatello, Idaho
- Median income: $46,617
- Total annual necessities: $23,443
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $26,557
Lincoln, Illinois
- Median income: $48,931
- Total annual necessities: $19,515
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $30,485
Kokomo, Indiana
- Median income: $45,797
- Total annual necessities: $19,744
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $30,256
Burlington, Iowa
- Median income: $47,540
- Total annual necessities: $20,314
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $29,686
Pictured: Des Moines, Iowa
Great Bend, Kansas
- Median income: $47,574
- Total annual necessities: $20,053
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $29,947
Pictured: Wichita, Kansas
Radcliff, Kentucky
- Median income: $46,105
- Total annual necessities: $21,461
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $28,539
Pineville, Louisiana
- Median income: $45,088
- Total annual necessities: $22,899
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $27,101
Pictured: Louisville, Kentucky
Bangor, Maine
- Median income: $46,625
- Total annual necessities: $23,445
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $26,555
Baltimore
- Median income: $50,379
- Total annual necessities: $23,787
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $26,213
Gardner, Massachusetts
- Median income: $49,679
- Total annual necessities: $25,506
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $24,494
Pictured: Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Owosso, Michigan
- Median income: $45,203
- Total annual necessities: $20,829
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $29,171
Pictured: Taylor, Michigan
Albert Lea, Minnesota
- Median income: $47,508
- Total annual necessities: $19,432
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $30,568
Pictured: Austin, Minnesota
Horn Lake, Mississippi
- Median income: $48,622
- Total annual necessities: $21,827
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $28,173
Pictured: Tupelo, Mississippi
St. Ann, Missouri
- Median income: $47,727
- Total annual necessities: $20,234
- Salary left over after annual necessities: $29,766
Pictured: St. Louis, Missouri
Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
- Median income: $45,797
- Total annual necessities: $22,043
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $27,957
Pictured: Great Falls, Montana
Hastings, Nebraska
- Median income: $48,644
- Total annual necessities: $22,502
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $27,498
Pahrump, Nevada
- Median income: $47,535
- Total annual necessities: $25,182
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $24,818
Claremont, New Hampshire
- Median income: $47,649
- Total annual necessities: $22,579
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $27,421
Lindenwold, New Jersey
- Median income: $45,789
- Total annual necessities: $22,719
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $27,281
Pictured: Millville, New Jersey
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Gallup, New Mexico
- Median income: $48,065
- Total annual necessities: $20,779
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $29,221
Batavia, New York
- Median income: $47,712
- Total annual necessities: $21,256
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $28,744
Pictured: Rochester, New York
Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Median income: $45,024
- Total annual necessities: $21,940
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $28,060
Jamestown, North Dakota
- Median income: $51,789
- Total annual necessities: $22,322
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $27,678
Defiance, Ohio
- Median income: $49,628
- Total annual necessities: $19,733
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $30,267
Pictured: Cleveland, Ohio
Altus, Oklahoma
- Median income: $47,691
- Total annual necessities: $18,762
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $31,238
Pictured: Lawton, Oklahoma
Coos Bay, Oregon
- Median income: $48,919
- Total annual necessities: $23,026
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $26,974
Munhall, Pennsylvania
- Median income: $47,649
- Total annual necessities: $21,296
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $28,704
Pictured: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Providence, Rhode Island
- Median income: $45,610
- Total annual necessities: $27,843
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $22,157
Florence, South Carolina
- Median income: $49,525
- Total annual necessities: $22,949
- Salary left over after annual necessities: $27,051
Pictured: Downtown Columbia, South Carolina
Huron, South Dakota
- Median income: $46,106
- Total annual necessities: $19,997
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $30,003
East Ridge, Tennessee
- Median income: $47,203
- Total annual necessities: $22,364
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $27,636
Pictured: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Plainview, Texas
- Median income: $48,430
- Total annual necessities: $19,226
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $30,774
Pictured: Lubbock, Texas
Cedar City, Utah
- Median income: $48,346
- Total annual necessities: $25,777
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $24,223
Pictured: Ogden, Utah
Rutland, Vermont
- Median income: $48,212
- Total annual necessities: $23,359
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $26,641
Pictured: Burlington, Vermont
Highland Springs, Virginia
- Median income: $48,886
- Total annual necessities: $23,001
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $26,999
Pictured: Richmond, Virginia
Port Angeles, Washington
- Median income: $47,256
- Total annual necessities: $25,981
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $24,019
Weirton, West Virginia
- Median income: $49,496
- Total annual necessities: $20,145
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $29,855
Two Rivers, Wisconsin
- Median income: $47,228
- Total annual necessities: $19,661
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $30,339
Pictured: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Laramie, Wyoming
- Median income: $46,117
- Total annual necessities: $27,966
- Amount (from $50,000) left over after annual necessities: $22,034
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Joel Anderson contributed to the reporting for this article.
Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only. As a result, some of the images may not reflect the exact towns listed.
Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the best places to live on a $50,000 salary in each state by analyzing cities along these criteria: (1) a minimum of 5,000 households, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey, (2) a median household income between $45,000 to $50,000, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey, (3) itemized cost of living index for groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare and miscellaneous expenditure, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2019 Consumer Expenditure Survey (latest full year dataset) by income level ($40,000 – $49,999), which were adjusted to each city’s local cost of living, sourced from Sperling’s Best Places. In order to qualify as a “best” city, the total cost of living expenditures could not exceed $50,000, and the city with the lowest overall total cost of living expenditures was declared the best. For Alaska, Hawaii, Maryland and North Dakota, income restrictions were relaxed. All data was compiled on and up to date as of April 6, 2021.