Here’s the Salary Needed To Afford America’s 50 Biggest Cities

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Pondering a move to one of America’s fastest-growing big cities? You should probably make sure your salary is growing fast enough, too.

GOBankingRates has done some of the research for you — analyzing data from the U.S. Census, Zillow, BestPlaces and the Bureau of Labor Statistics — to determine the salary you’ll need to live comfortably. To define “living comfortably,” we’ve applied the 50/30/20 rule (which states that needs should not exceed 50% of a person’s income).

We’ve also ranked the cities in our list by population growth between 2021 and 2022, which has the most recent figures available. You can find our full methodology at the end of this story.

Of the eight cities where you would need the highest salaries, six are located in California. In the most expensive city on our list, you’ll need to pull in an annual salary of $266,000 to live comfortably.

On the other hand, you can live comfortably in the least expensive city on our list for less than $65,000 a year.

In addition to the salary you’ll need, we’ve included 2021 and 2022 populations and the increase/decrease, household median income, the average value for a single-family home, a livability score from AreaVibes, and the total annual cost of living. Here they are in descending order of rate of growth.

1. Phoenix

• 2022 population: 1,609,456
• 2021 population: 1,591,119
• Year-over-year increase: 18,337
• Household median income: $72,092
• Single-family home average value: $440,515
• Livability: 76
• Total cost of living (annual): $54,460
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $108,919

2. Fort Worth, Texas

• 2022 population: 924,663
• 2021 population: 908,469
• Year-over-year increase: 16,194
• Household median income: $72,726
• Single-family home average value: $307,958
• Livability: 80
• Total cost of living (annual): $45,670
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $91,341

3. Austin, Texas

• 2022 population: 958,202
• 2021 population: 944,658
• Year-over-year increase: 13,544
• Household median income: $86,556
• Single-family home average value: $565,592
• Livability: 83
• Total cost of living (annual): $62,686
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $125,372

4. Jacksonville, Florida

• 2022 population: 950,203
• 2021 population: 937,690
• Year-over-year increase: 12,513
• Household median income: $64,138
• Single-family home average value: $311,030
• Livability: 84
• Total cost of living (annual): $45,194
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $90,388

5. San Antonio

• 2022 population: 1,445,662
• 2021 population: 1,434,540
• Year-over-year increase: 11,122
• Household median income: $59,593
• Single-family home average value: $261,446
• Livability: 80
• Total cost of living (annual): $40,654
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $81,308

6. Charlotte

• 2022 population: 875,045
• 2021 population: 864,871
• Year-over-year increase: 10,174
• Household median income: $74,070
• Single-family home average value: $409,863
• Livability: 80
• Total cost of living (annual): $51,137
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $102,274

7. Las Vegas

• 2022 population: 644,835
• 2021 population: 634,786
• Year-over-year increase: 10,049
• Household median income: $66,356
• Single-family home average value: $452,326
• Livability: 82
• Total cost of living (annual): $56,382
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $112,763

8. Seattle

• 2022 population: 734,603
• 2021 population:  726,054
• Year-over-year increase: 8,549
• Household median income: $116,068
• Single-family home average value: $955,374
• Livability: 75
• Total cost of living (annual): $89,773
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $179,547

9. Oklahoma City

• 2022 population: 681,088
• 2021 population: 673,183
• Year-over-year increase: 7,905
• Household median income: $64,251
• Single-family home average value: $207,451
• Livability: 81
• Total cost of living (annual): $37,605
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $75,211

10. Mesa, Arizona

• 2022 population: 503,390
• 2021 population: 497,752
• Year-over-year increase: 5,638
• Household median income: $73,766
• Single-family home average value: $453,125
• Livability: 81
• Total cost of living (annual): $54,950
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $109,900

11. Bakersfield, California

• 2022 population: 404,321
• 2021 population: 398,756
• Year-over-year increase: 5,565
• Household median income: $73,827
• Single-family home average value: $392,067
• Livability: 57
• Total cost of living (annual): $50,760
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $101,519

12. Sacramento, California

• 2022 population: 523,600
• 2021 population: 518,605
• Year-over-year increase: 4,995
• Household median income: $78,954
• Single-family home average value: $495,207
• Livability: 73
• Total cost of living (annual): $59,529
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $119,057

13. Colorado Springs, Colorado

• 2022 population: 479,612
• 2021 population: 475,282
• Year-over-year increase: 4,330
• Household median income: $79,026
• Single-family home average value: $466,510
• Livability: 79
• Total cost of living (annual): $53,948
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $107,897

 14. Columbus, Ohio

• 2022 population: 902,449
• 2021 population: 898,143
• Year-over-year increase: 4,306
• Household median income: $62,994
• Single-family home average value: $265,281
• Livability: 81
• Total cost of living (annual): $40,692
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $81,385 

15. Denver

• 2022 population: 710,800
• 2021 population: 706,799
• Year-over-year increase: 4,001
• Household median income: $85,853
• Single-family home average value: $615,213
• Livability: 72
• Total cost of living (annual): $66,048
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $132,096 

16. Kansas City, Missouri

• 2022 population: 505,958
• 2021 population: 502,597
• Year-over-year increase: 3,361
• Household median income: $65,256
• Single-family home average value: $244,129
• Livability: 78
• Total cost of living (annual): $39,622
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $79,244 

17. Raleigh, North Carolina

• 2022 population: 465,517
• 2021 population: 462,219
• Year-over-year increase: 3,298
• Household median income: $78,631
• Single-family home average value: $454,961
• Livability: 84
• Total cost of living (annual): $53,633
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $107,266

 18. Houston

• 2022 population: 2,296,253
• 2021 population: 2,293,288
• Year-over-year increase: 2,965
• Household median income: $60,440
• Single-family home average value: $277,464
• Livability: 74
• Total cost of living (annual): $43,538
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $87,075 

19. Tucson, Arizona

• 2022 population: 541,033
• 2021 population: 538,167
• Year-over-year increase: 2,866
• Household median income: $52,049
• Single-family home average value: $343,909
• Livability: 73
• Total cost of living (annual): $45,788
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $91,575 

20. Miami

• 2022 population: 443,665
• 2021 population: 440,807
• Year-over-year increase: 2,858
• Household median income: $54,858
• Single-family home average value: $659,560
• Livability: 81
• Total cost of living (annual): $71,931
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $143,861 

21. Fresno, California

• 2022 population: 541,528
• 2021 population: 538,678
• Year-over-year increase: 2,850
• Household median income: $63,001
• Single-family home average value: $393,607
• Livability: 63
• Total cost of living (annual): $50,852
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $101,704

 22. Atlanta

• 2022 population: 494,838
• 2021 population: 492,204
• Year-over-year increase: 2,634
• Household median income: $77,655
• Single-family home average value: $449,613
• Livability: 78
• Total cost of living (annual): $55,918
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $111,835

 23. Indianapolis

• 2022 population: 882,006
• 2021 population: 880,104
• Year-over-year increase: 1,902
• Household median income: $59,110
• Single-family home average value: $235,505
• Livability: 76
• Total cost of living (annual): $38,490
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $76,979

 24. Minneapolis

• 2022 population: 426,877
• 2021 population: 425,091
• Year-over-year increase: 1,786
• Household median income: $76,332
• Single-family home average value: $342,194
• Livability: 78
• Total cost of living (annual): $46,741
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $93,482 

25. Nashville, Tennessee

• 2022 population: 684,103
• 2021 population: 682,646
• Year-over-year increase: 1,457
• Household median income: $71,328
• Single-family home average value: $453,347
• Livability: 78
• Total cost of living (annual): $54,625
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $109,251

 26. Wichita, Kansas

• 2022 population: 395,951
• 2021 population: 394,574
• Year-over-year increase:  1,377
• Household median income: $60,712
• Single-family home average value: $203,422
• Livability: 68
• Total cost of living (annual): $36,604
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $73,207

 27. Tulsa, Oklahoma

• 2022 population: 411,938
• 2021 population: 410,652
• Year-over-year increase: 1,286
• Household median income: $56,648
• Single-family home average value: $211,153
• Livability: 75
• Total cost of living (annual): $37,257
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $74,513 

28. Arlington, Texas

• 2022 population: 393,469
• 2021 population: 392,304
• Year-over-year increase: 1,165
• Household median income: $71,736
• Single-family home average value: $322,797
• Livability: 78
• Total cost of living (annual): $46,709
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $93,418 

29. Omaha, Nebraska

• 2022 population: 489,201
• 2021 population: 488,059
• Year-over-year increase: 1,142
• Household median income: $70,202
• Single-family home average value: $286,215
• Livability: 83
• Total cost of living (annual): $42,936
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $85,872

 30. El Paso, Texas

• 2022 population: 677,181
• 2021 population: 676,395
• Year-over-year increase: 786
• Household median income: $55,710
• Single-family home average value: $225,008
• Livability: 81
• Total cost of living (annual): $37,653
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $75,307

 31. Dallas

• 2022 population: 1,300,642
• 2021 population: 1,300,239
• Year-over-year increase: 403
• Household median income: $63,985
• Single-family home average value: $330,918
• Livability: 81
• Total cost of living (annual): $47,409
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $94,817 

32. Oakland, California

• 2022 population: 437,825
• 2021 population: 437,548
• Year-over-year increase: 277
• Household median income: $94,389
• Single-family home average value: $867,741
• Livability: 71
• Total cost of living (annual): $85,949
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $171,898 

33. Virginia Beach, Virginia

• 2022 population: 457,900
• 2021 population: 457,658
• Year-over-year increase: 242
• Household median income: $87,544
• Single-family home average value: $417,380
• Livability: 83
• Total cost of living (annual): $52,576
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $105,151

 34. Albuquerque, New Mexico

• 2022 population: 562,551
• 2021 population: 562,336
• Year-over-year increase: 215
• Household median income: $61,503
• Single-family home average value: $337,910
• Livability: 72
• Total cost of living (annual): $44,538
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $89,076

 35. Portland, Oregon

• 2022 population: 646,101
• 2021 population: 647,176
• Year-over-year increase: -1,075
• Household median income: $85,876
• Single-family home average value: $561,682
• Livability: 78
• Total cost of living (annual): $63,041
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $126,083 

36. Louisville, Kentucky

• 2022 population: 629,176
• 2021 population: 630,260
• Year-over-year increase: -1,084
• Household median income: $63,114
• Single-family home average value: $250,672
• Livability: 66
• Total cost of living (annual): $40,232
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $80,465 

37. San Diego

• 2022 population: 1,383,987
• 2021 population: 1,385,398
• Year-over-year increase: -1,411
• Household median income: $98,657
• Single-family home average value: $1,154,962
• Livability: 75
• Total cost of living (annual): $103,666
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $207,332

 38. Philadelphia

• 2022 population: 1,593,208
• 2021 population: 1,596,865
• Year-over-year increase: -3,657
• Household median income: $57,537
• Single-family home average value: $220,413
• Livability: 76
• Total cost of living (annual): $42,502
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $85,005

 39. Memphis, Tennessee

• 2022 population: 630,027
• 2021 population: 634,139
• Year-over-year increase: -4,112
• Household median income: $48,090
• Single-family home average value: $149,597
• Livability: 70
• Total cost of living (annual): $33,000
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $66,000 

40. Long Beach, California

• 2022 population: 462,293
• 2021 population: 466,565
• Year-over-year increase: -4,272
• Household median income: $78,995
• Single-family home average value: $909,950
• Livability: 69
• Total cost of living (annual): $88,777
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $177,553 

41. Milwaukee

• 2022 population: 573,299
• 2021 population: 578,198
• Year-over-year increase: -4,899
• Household median income: $49,733
• Single-family home average value: $209,803
• Livability: 79
• Total cost of living (annual): $37,763
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $75,526

 42. Boston

• 2022 population: 665,945
• 2021 population: 672,814
• Year-over-year increase: -6,869
• Household median income: $89,212
• Single-family home average value: $815,819
• Livability: 77
• Total cost of living (annual): $82,497
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $164,993

 43. Baltimore

• 2022 population: 584,548
• 2021 population: 592,211
• Year-over-year increase: -7,663
• Household median income: $58,349
• Single-family home average value: $187,577
• Livability: 77
• Total cost of living (annual): $37,762
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $75,524

 44. Detroit

• 2022 population: 636,787
• 2021 population: 645,658
• Year-over-year increase: -8,871
• Household median income: $37,761
• Single-family home average value: $73,418
• Livability: 73
• Total cost of living (annual): $32,424
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $64,849 

45. San Jose, California

• 2022 population: 1,001,176
• 2021 population: 1,013,337
• Year-over-year increase: -12,161
• Household median income: $136,010
• Single-family home average value: $1,543,154
• Livability: 79
• Total cost of living (annual): $132,963
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $265,926

 46. Washington, D.C.

• 2022 population: 670,587
• 2021 population: 683,154
• Year-over-year increase: -12,567
• Household median income: $101,722
• Single-family home average value: $720,689
• Livability: 75
• Total cost of living (annual): $76,531
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $153,061

 47. San Francisco

• 2022 population: 851,036
• 2021 population: 865,933
• Year-over-year increase: -14,897
• Household median income: $136,689
• Single-family home average value: $1,428,477
• Livability: 75
• Total cost of living (annual): $126,439
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $252,878 

48. Chicago

• 2022 population: 2,721,914
• 2021 population: 2,742,119
• Year-over-year increase: -20,205
• Household median income: $71,673
• Single-family home average value: $313,159
• Livability: 78
• Total cost of living (annual): $46,999
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $93,999 

49. Los Angeles

• 2022 population: 3,881,041
• 2021 population: 3,902,440
• Year-over-year increase: -21,399
• Household median income: $76,244
• Single-family home average value: $1,025,895
• Livability: 67
• Total cost of living (annual): $97,250
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $194,500

 50. New York City

• 2022 population: 8,622,467
• 2021 population: 8,736,047
• Year-over-year increase: -113,580
• Household median income: $76,607
• Single-family home average value: $789,032
• Livability: 75
• Total cost of living (annual): $87,955
• Salary needed to live comfortably: $175,909

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 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.

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