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Cities Where the Average Salary Isn’t Enough To Get By

The adage about the three most important things in real estate — location, location, location — speaks to more than where you live. It’s about how you live, too. From the size of your paycheck to how much your groceries will cost, your location plays a big role in your household finances.
In some cases, your home city might provide you with a lot more disposable income to save or invest after paying all of your bills each month. In other cases, where you live is possibly one of the main reasons why it feels like you’re fighting a losing battle with your budget every month.
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That’s why GOBankingRates conducted a study to find out where residents are getting a deal on the cost of living and where Americans are regularly forced to dig themselves out of a financial hole.
To see the regional differences in how much of the typical paycheck is left over after covering costs, the study took the 50 of the most populated U.S. cities according to the United States Census Bureau and compared the average salary with the annual cost of necessities like housing, groceries, healthcare, utilities and transportation. We pared the list to 20 cities where the cost to live “comfortably” outpaces the median income of a person residing in a nonfamily situation.
1. Miami, Florida
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $32,001
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,559
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $18,713
- Annual grocery cost: $3,720.09
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,473.81
- Annual utilities cost: $3,103.75
- Annual transportation cost: $5,410.08
- Total annual cost of necessities: $34,420
Income left over after necessities: -$2,419
Percentage of income left over after necessities: -7.56%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $68,840
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2. Detroit, Michigan
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $23,484
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $696
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $8,355
- Annual grocery cost: $3,085.63
- Annual healthcare cost: $2,963.99
- Annual utilities cost: $2,915.25
- Annual transportation cost: $6,675.55
- Total annual cost of necessities: $23,995
Income left over after necessities: -$511
Percentage of income left over after necessities: -2.18%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $47,991
3. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $28,770
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,019
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $12,225
- Annual grocery cost: $3,439.26
- Annual healthcare cost: $2,995.63
- Annual utilities cost: $2,837.25
- Annual transportation cost: $4,960.80
- Total annual cost of necessities: $26,458
Income left over after necessities: $2,312
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 8.04%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $52,916
4. El Paso, Texas
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $27,694
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $911
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $10,937
- Annual grocery cost: $3,189.64
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,048.37
- Annual utilities cost: $3,155.75
- Annual transportation cost: $3,440.74
- Total annual cost of necessities: $23,771
Income left over after necessities: $3,923
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 14.17%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $47,542
5. Memphis, Tennessee
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $30,493
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $953
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $11,435
- Annual grocery cost: $3,234.71
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,459.74
- Annual utilities cost: $3,129.75
- Annual transportation cost: $3,538.08
- Total annual cost of necessities: $24,797
Income left over after necessities: $5,696
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 18.68%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $49,594
6. Fresno, California
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $33,323
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,054
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $12,644
- Annual grocery cost: $3,439.26
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,185.50
- Annual utilities cost: $3,653.00
- Annual transportation cost: $3,807.65
- Total annual cost of necessities: $26,729
Income left over after necessities: $6,594
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 19.79%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $53,458
7. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $35,827
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,098
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $13,181
- Annual grocery cost: $3,553.68
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,459.74
- Annual utilities cost: $3,500.25
- Annual transportation cost: $5,312.74
- Total annual cost of necessities: $29,007
Income left over after necessities: $6,820
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 19.04%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $58,014
8. New York, New York
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $50,460
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,972
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $23,658
- Annual grocery cost: $4,042.52
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,959.02
- Annual utilities cost: $4,891.25
- Annual transportation cost: $6,780.38
- Total annual cost of necessities: $43,331
Income left over after necessities: $7,129
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 14.13%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $86,662
9. Tampa, Florida
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $38,591
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,413
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $16,956
- Annual grocery cost: $3,643.82
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,463.26
- Annual utilities cost: $3,129.75
- Annual transportation cost: $4,197.02
- Total annual cost of necessities: $31,390
Income left over after necessities: $7,201
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 18.66%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $62,780
10. Tucson, Arizona
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $31,876
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $963
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $11,552
- Annual grocery cost: $3,310.99
- Annual healthcare cost: $2,865.54
- Annual utilities cost: $3,230.50
- Annual transportation cost: $3,616.70
- Total annual cost of necessities: $24,575
Income left over after necessities: $7,301
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 22.90%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $49,150
11. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $31,698
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $808
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $9,696
- Annual grocery cost: $3,220.84
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,649.61
- Annual utilities cost: $3,289.00
- Annual transportation cost: $3,822.62
- Total annual cost of necessities: $23,678
Income left over after necessities: $8,020
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 25.30%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $47,356
12. Las Vegas, Nevada
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $37,389
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,127
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $13,521
- Annual grocery cost: $3,546.74
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,245.27
- Annual utilities cost: $3,334.50
- Annual transportation cost: $4,811.04
- Total annual cost of necessities: $28,459
Income left over after necessities: $8,930
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 23.89%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $56,917
13. San Antonio, Texas
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $35,786
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,039
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $12,464
- Annual grocery cost: $3,168.84
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,280.43
- Annual utilities cost: $3,084.25
- Annual transportation cost: $3,717.79
- Total annual cost of necessities: $25,715
Income left over after necessities: $10,071
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 28.14%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $51,430
14. Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $34,236
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $862
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $10,349
- Annual grocery cost: $3,290.18
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,850.02
- Annual utilities cost: $3,107.00
- Annual transportation cost: $3,358.37
- Total annual cost of necessities: $23,954
Income left over after necessities: $10,282
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 30.03%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $47,908
15. Jacksonville, Florida
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $38,558
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,190
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $14,277
- Annual grocery cost: $3,439.26
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,414.04
- Annual utilities cost: $3,341.00
- Annual transportation cost: $3,796.42
- Total annual cost of necessities: $28,268
Income left over after necessities: $10,290
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 26.69%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $56,535
16. Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $35,418
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,010
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $12,116
- Annual grocery cost: $3,328.32
- Annual healthcare cost: $2,851.48
- Annual utilities cost: $3,159.00
- Annual transportation cost: $3,347.14
- Total annual cost of necessities: $24,801
Income left over after necessities: $10,617
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 29.98%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $49,603
17. Baltimore, Maryland
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $39,140
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,089
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $13,070
- Annual grocery cost: $3,397.66
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,150.34
- Annual utilities cost: $3,487.25
- Annual transportation cost: $4,657.54
- Total annual cost of necessities: $27,762
Income left over after necessities: $11,378
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 29.07%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $55,525
18. Mesa, Arizona
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $41,160
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,295
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $15,536
- Annual grocery cost: $3,369.92
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,241.75
- Annual utilities cost: $3,253.25
- Annual transportation cost: $4,268.16
- Total annual cost of necessities: $29,669
Income left over after necessities: $11,491
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 27.92%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $59,337
19. Indianapolis, Indiana
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $35,966
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $895
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $10,743
- Annual grocery cost: $3,245.11
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,051.89
- Annual utilities cost: $2,931.50
- Annual transportation cost: $3,399.55
- Total annual cost of necessities: $23,371
Income left over after necessities: $12,595
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 35.02%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $46,742
20. Louisville, Kentucky
- Median income for a nonfamily household: $36,013
- Monthly rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $821
- Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $9,854
- Annual grocery cost: $3,362.99
- Annual healthcare cost: $3,023.76
- Annual utilities cost: $3,016.00
- Annual transportation cost: $3,863.81
- Total annual cost of necessities: $23,120
Income left over after necessities: $12,893
Percentage of income left over after necessities: 35.80%
Salary needed to live “comfortably”: $46,240
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Joel Anderson contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: GOBankingRates determined cities where the average salary isn’t enough to get by, by looking at 50 of the most populated cities according to the United States Census Bureau along these criteria: (1) median nonfamily Income from the 2020 American Community Survey from the United States Census Bureau; (2) average monthly/annual rent for a one bedroom as sourced from ApartmentList’s July 2022 data; (3) itemized cost-of-living index for groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare and miscellaneous expenditure, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey for a single person, which were adjusted to each city’s local cost of living, sourced from Sperling’s Best Places. Factors No. 2 and 3 then were combined to give each city a (4) total annual necessities cost, which was then subtracted from each city’s on-family median income to give each city (5) leftover income after necessities. All data was collected and is up to date as of Aug. 1, 2022.
The United States Census Bureau defines a nonfamily household as “a householder living alone (a one-person household) or where the householder shares the home exclusively with people to whom he/she is not related.”
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