Life and Money

20 Cities Where You Need a Side Hustle To Get By

It takes more than one job to cover your costs in these cities.

Cameron Huddleston
Life and Money Columnist

Apr 29, 2022 Find a Side Gig

While some people can use a side hustle to bring in extra income and add to their savings, for many Americans, extra money is essential just to pay for necessities.

To find out where this problem is most pronounced, GOBankingRates evaluated the 100 largest U.S. cities to identify where Americans need at least one side hustle to cover their costs and used the average income from a side hustle in the U.S. ($12,609) to determine the number of side hustles to get by.

The study considered the per capita income — which is the average income earned per person — of each city. Then, it examined the average annual cost of groceries, healthcare, utilities, transportation and rent for a one-bedroom apartment. GOBankingRates added up those costs and then subtracted them from per-capita income to determine whether there was a gap between income and cost of living.

Poll: Do You Think States Should Suspend Their Gas Taxes?

Plenty of cities with a high cost of living made it on this list of places where you need a side hustle to get by. However, several places where the cost of living is relatively low also made it on the list — that’s because the per-capita income in those cities is low. As a result, those people need to find ways to make extra money to cover bills.

Make Your Money Work Better for You

20. San Antonio, Texas

Per capita income: $26,328
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $12,516
Annual transportation cost: $5,003.73
Annual grocery cost: $4,129.41
Annual healthcare cost: $4,516.99
Annual utility cost: $4,830.14
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$4,484.80
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

19. Rochester, New York

Per capita income: $24,916
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $11,192
Annual transportation cost: $4,565.33
Annual grocery cost: $4,833.28
Annual healthcare cost: $4,830.14
Annual utility cost: $4,291.06
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$4,795.81
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

18. Fayetteville, North Carolina

Per capita income: $25,659
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $11,732
Annual transportation cost: $3,885.07
Annual grocery cost: $4,645.48
Annual healthcare cost: $6,119.21
Annual utility cost: $4,091.47
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$4,814.24
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

17. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Per capita income: $24,1679
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $9,788
Annual transportation cost: $5,144.82
Annual grocery cost: $4,591.12
Annual healthcare cost: $5,373.73
Annual utility cost: $4,207.90
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$4,938.56
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

16. El Paso, Texas

Per capita income: $23,450
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $10,780
Annual transportation cost: $4,630.84
Annual grocery cost: $4,546.64
Annual healthcare cost: $4,488.46
Annual utility cost: $4.037.42
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$5,033.36
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

15. Arlington, Texas

Per capita income: $28,904
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $14,068
Annual transportation cost: $5,774.69
Annual grocery cost: $4,848.10
Annual healthcare cost: $5,145.94
Annual utility cost: $4,158
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$5,090.73
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

14. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Per capita income: $29,644
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $13,152
Annual transportation cost: $7,150.34
Annual grocery cost: $5,065.55
Annual healthcare cost: $5.094.17
Annual utility cost: $4,478.17
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$5,296.23
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

Make Your Money Work Better for You

13. Mesa, Arizona

Per capita income: $30,903
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $16,952
Annual transportation cost: $5,744.46
Annual grocery cost: $4,803.62
Annual healthcare cost: $4,773.19
Annual utility cost: $4,162.16
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$5,532.44
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

12. Tucson, Arizona

Per capita income: $24,468
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $12,272
Annual transportation cost: $4,867.67
Annual grocery cost: $4,719.61
Annual healthcare cost: $4,219.26
Annual utility cost: $4,133.05
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$5,743.59
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

11. Los Angeles, California

Per capita income: $37,143
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $20,904
Annual transportation cost: $8,329.47
Annual grocery cost: $5,144.62
Annual healthcare cost: $4,628.24
Annual utility cost: $3,896.05
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$5,759.37
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

10. Spring Valley, Nevada

Per capita income: $31,886
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $17,488
Annual transportation cost: $6,298.75
Annual grocery cost: $5,080.38
Annual healthcare cost: $4,778.37
Annual utility cost: $4,307.69
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$6,067.19
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

9. Long Beach, California

Per capita income: $33,607
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $19,000
Annual transportation cost: $7,956.58
Annual grocery cost: $5,035,90
Annual healthcare cost: $4,628.24
Annual utility cost: $4,037.42
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$7,051.14
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

8. Fresno, California

Per capita income: $24,814
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $12,732
Annual transportation cost: $5,124.66
Annual grocery cost: $4,902.46
Annual healthcare cost: $4,690.36
Annual utility cost: $4,673.59
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$7,309.08
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

7. Glendale, Arizona

Per capita income: $26,395
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $14,480
Annual transportation cost: $6,092.15
Annual grocery cost: $4,778.91
Annual healthcare cost: $4,773.19
Annual utility cost: $4,245.32
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$7,974.58
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

6. Miami, Florida

Per capita income: $31,437
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $19,376
Annual transportation cost: $7,281.36
Annual grocery cost: $5,302.77
Annual healthcare cost: $5,114.88
Annual utility cost: $3,970.89
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$9,608.89
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

Make Your Money Work Better for You

5. New York City, New York

Per capita income: $41,625
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $24,580
Annual transportation cost: $9,125.63
Annual grocery cost: $5,762.37
Annual healthcare cost: $5,829.30
Annual utility cost: $6,257.79
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$9,930.09
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

4. Detroit, Michigan

Per capita income: $19,569
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $8,332
Annual transportation cost: $8,984.54
Annual grocery cost: $4,398.38
Annual healthcare cost: $4,364.21
Annual utility cost: $3,729.73
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$10,239.85
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

3. Anaheim, California

Per capita income: $30,122
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $21,432
Annual transportation cost: $5,946.02
Annual grocery cost: $5,065.55
Annual healthcare cost: $4,964.74
Annual utility cost: $4,049,89
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$11,336.90
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

2. Newark, New Jersey

Per capita income: $20,924
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $10,708
Annual transportation cost: $7,856.88
Annual grocery cost: $5,124.85
Annual healthcare cost: $4,705.89
Annual utility cost: $4,744.28
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$12,224.90
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 1

1. Riverside, California

Per capita income: $27,144
Annual rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $20,248
Annual transportation cost: $7,361.98
Annual grocery cost: $4,961.77
Annual healthcare cost: $4,545.41
Annual utility cost: $4,407.48
Difference between per capita income and total costs: -$14,380.63
Number of side hustles needed to get by: 2

More From GOBankingRates

Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the Cities in the United States Where You Need a Side Hustle to Get By, by looking at the top 100 most populated cities according to the United States Census Bureau along these criteria: (1) per capita income as sourced from the United States Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey; (2) average monthly/annual rent for a one bedroom as sourced from ApartmentList’s March 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, which were adjusted to each city’s local cost of living, sourced from Sperling’s Best Places. Factors (2) and (3) were then combined to give each city a (4) total annual cost of living, which was then subtracted from each city’s per capita income to give (5) difference between per capita income and total annual cost of living. If factor (5) was negative then it was deemed as a city that one would need a side hustle to get by, so GOBankingRates used the average income from a side hustle in the US ($12,609) as sourced from the Hustle’s: The most lucrative side-hustles, to determine (7) number of side hustles needed to get by. All data was collected and is up to date as of April 19, 2022.

About the Author

Cameron Huddleston

Cameron Huddleston is an award-winning journalist with more than 18 years of experience writing about personal finance. Her work has appeared in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Business Insider, Chicago Tribune, Fortune, MSN, USA Today and many more print and online publications. She also is the author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations With Your Parents About Their Finances. U.S. News & World Report named her one of the top personal finance experts to follow on Twitter, and AOL Daily Finance named her one of the top 20 personal finance influencers to follow on Twitter. She has appeared on CNBC, CNN, MSNBC and “Fox & Friends” and has been a guest on ABC News Radio, Wall Street Journal Radio, NPR, WTOP in Washington, D.C., KGO in San Francisco and other personal finance radio shows nationwide. She also has been interviewed and quoted as an expert in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, MarketWatch and more. She has an MA in economic journalism from American University and BA in journalism and Russian studies from Washington & Lee University.