Seeking a comfortable life in a major U.S. city? You’ll need to earn a lot of money to afford it.
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A new study from GOBankingRates reveals Americans must earn at least $100,000 to live comfortably in 26 U.S. metros, amounting to more than half of the nation’s 50 largest cities.
GOBankingRates analyzed the largest 50 cities by population using data from the 2024 U.S. Census American Community Survey. Each city’s cost of living was calculated using mortgage and expenditure information. Using the 50/30/20 finance rule, the study doubled the cost of necessities to find the comfortable cost of living. The cities are sorted according to the largest salary needed to comfortably live.
Key Findings
- San Jose, San Francisco and San Diego are the most expensive cities for living comfortably. Each requires a salary of $200,000+ annually.
- A six-figure income is necessary to afford living comfortably in nine major California cities: San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Sacramento, Bakersfield and Fresno.
- Austin is the most expensive Texas city for living comfortably. You’d need to earn $122,875 annually, the only Texas city in the ranking with a six-figure salary needed for comfortable living.
- Detroit is the least expensive city for living comfortably. The annual salary needed is $65,733.
Ranked from highest to lowest salary needed to cover comfortable living costs, here’s what you need to earn to afford the nation’s 50 biggest cities.
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1. San Jose, California
- Total population (2024): 997,395
- Average single family home value: $1,529,160
- Salary needed for necessities: $132,473
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $264,946
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2. San Francisco
- Total population (2024): 827,526
- Average single family home value: $1,410,552
- Salary needed for necessities: $125,699
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $251,398
3. San Diego
- Total population (2024): 1,404,461
- Average single family home value: $1,140,127
- Salary needed for necessities: $103,176
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $206,353
4. Los Angeles
- Total population (2024): 3,878,718
- Average single family home value: $1,025,128
- Salary needed for necessities: $97,460
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $194,920
5. New York
- Total population (2024): 8,478,072
- Average single family home value: $846,342
- Salary needed for necessities: $92,210
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $184,420
6. Long Beach, California
- Total population (2024): 450,917
- Average single family home value: $919,269
- Salary needed for necessities: $89,679
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $179,359
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7. Seattle
- Total population (2024): 780,992
- Average single family home value: $941,803
- Salary needed for necessities: $89,260
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $178,520
8. Boston
- Total population (2024): 673,822
- Average single family home value: $839,566
- Salary needed for necessities: $84,578
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $169,155
9. Oakland, California
- Total population (2024): 443,575
- Average single family home value: $797,148
- Salary needed for necessities: $81,779
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $163,559
10. Washington, D.C.
- Total population (2024): 702,250
- Average single family home value: $749,377
- Salary needed for necessities: $78,980
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $157,960
11. Miami
- Total population (2024): 487,006
- Average single family home value: $657,084
- Salary needed for necessities: $72,109
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $144,219
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12. Denver
- Total population (2024): 729,019
- Average single family home value: $589,059
- Salary needed for necessities: $64,764
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $129,528
13. Portland, Oregon
- Total population (2024): 636,958
- Average single family home value: $560,229
- Salary needed for necessities: $63,354
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $126,707
14. Austin, Texas
- Total population (2024): 993,771
- Average single family home value: $540,210
- Salary needed for necessities: $61,437
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $122,875
15. Sacramento, California
- Total population (2024): 535,787
- Average single family home value: $491,883
- Salary needed for necessities: $59,791
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $119,582
16. Las Vegas
- Total population (2024): 678,924
- Average single family home value: $459,185
- Salary needed for necessities: $57,225
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $114,449
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17. Atlanta
- Total population (2024): 520,066
- Average single family home value: $450,085
- Salary needed for necessities: $56,351
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $112,702
18. Nashville, Tennessee
- Total population (2024): 704,965
- Average single family home value: $457,356
- Salary needed for necessities: $55,391
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $110,783
19. Mesa, Arizona
- Total population (2024): 517,142
- Average single family home value: $448,204
- Salary needed for necessities: $55,033
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $110,065
20. Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Total population (2024): 493,540
- Average single family home value: $463,169
- Salary needed for necessities: $54,231
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $108,462
21. Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Total population (2024): 454,808
- Average single family home value: $427,529
- Salary needed for necessities: $53,847
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $107,694
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22. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Total population (2024): 499,637
- Average single family home value: $449,566
- Salary needed for necessities: $53,815
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $107,631
23. Phoenix
- Total population (2024): 1,673,122
- Average single family home value: $422,826
- Salary needed for necessities: $53,670
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $107,341
24. Bakersfield, California
- Total population (2024): 417,461
- Average single family home value: $401,355
- Salary needed for necessities: $51,863
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $103,726
25. Fresno, California
- Total population (2024): 550,091
- Average single family home value: $400,093
- Salary needed for necessities: $51,779
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $103,558
26. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Total population (2024): 943,474
- Average single family home value: $410,500
- Salary needed for necessities: $51,683
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $103,365
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27. Minneapolis
- Total population (2024): 428,572
- Average single family home value: $357,994
- Salary needed for necessities: $48,270
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $96,540
28. Chicago
- Total population (2024): 2,721,326
- Average single family home value: $316,835
- Salary needed for necessities: $47,599
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $95,198
29. Dallas
- Total population (2024): 1,326,093
- Average single family home value: $325,525
- Salary needed for necessities: $47,475
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $94,950
30. Arlington, Texas
- Total population (2024): 403,657
- Average single family home value: $316,376
- Salary needed for necessities: $46,718
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $93,436
31. Tucson, Arizona
- Total population (2024): 554,011
- Average single family home value: $339,478
- Salary needed for necessities: $45,935
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $91,870
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32. Fort Worth, Texas
- Total population (2024): 1,014,376
- Average single family home value: $302,082
- Salary needed for necessities: $45,719
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $91,438
33. Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Total population (2024): 560,333
- Average single family home value: $346,106
- Salary needed for necessities: $45,556
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $91,112
34. Jacksonville, Florida
- Total population (2024): 1,009,831
- Average single family home value: $299,855
- Salary needed for necessities: $44,938
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $89,876
35. Omaha, Nebraska
- Total population (2024): 489,263
- Average single family home value: $294,739
- Salary needed for necessities: $44,168
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $88,336
36. Houston
- Total population (2024): 2,387,910
- Average single family home value: $273,592
- Salary needed for necessities: $43,679
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $87,359
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37. Philadelphia
- Total population (2024): 1,573,916
- Average single family home value: $228,156
- Salary needed for necessities: $43,382
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $86,763
38. Columbus, Ohio
- Total population (2024): 931,551
- Average single family home value: $271,653
- Salary needed for necessities: $41,635
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $83,269
39. Louisville, Kentucky
- Total population (2024): 640,793
- Average single family home value: $261,726
- Salary needed for necessities: $41,408
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $82,816
40. Kansas City, Missouri
- Total population (2024): 516,045
- Average single family home value: $254,114
- Salary needed for necessities: $40,818
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $81,637
41. San Antonio
- Total population (2024): 1,526,621
- Average single family home value: $255,410
- Salary needed for necessities: $40,707
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $81,413
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42. Milwaukee
- Total population (2024): 563,512
- Average single family home value: $224,046
- Salary needed for necessities: $39,196
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $78,392
43. Indianapolis
- Total population (2024): 890,315
- Average single family home value: $237,877
- Salary needed for necessities: $39,159
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $78,317
44. El Paso, Texas
- Total population (2024): 681,724
- Average single family home value: $231,634
- Salary needed for necessities: $38,557
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $77,115
45. Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Total population (2024): 413,652
- Average single family home value: $220,176
- Salary needed for necessities: $38,392
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $76,783
46. Oklahoma City
- Total population (2024): 713,014
- Average single family home value: $208,348
- Salary needed for necessities: $38,175
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $76,350
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47. Baltimore
- Total population (2024): 568,271
- Average single family home value: $187,275
- Salary needed for necessities: $38,100
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $76,200
48. Wichita, Kansas
- Total population (2024): 400,993
- Average single family home value: $202,631
- Salary needed for necessities: $37,153
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $74,307
49. Memphis, Tennessee
- Total population (2024): 610,936
- Average single family home value: $143,738
- Salary needed for necessities: $33,088
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $66,177
50. Detroit
- Total population (2024): 645,702
- Average single family home value: $78,624
- Salary needed for necessities: $32,866
- Salary needed for comfortable living: $65,733
See more original studies and surveys in the GOBankingRates original research center.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the largest 50 cities by population, according to U.S. Census 2024 1-year American Community Survey. The cost of living for each place was sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. The average single-family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index for July 2025 and the average mortgage was calculated using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 6.35%, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data. Using the mortgage and expenditure cost, the average cost of living was calculated for each city. Using the 50/30/20 finance rule that states needs should not exceed 50% of household income, the total cost of living for necessities was doubled to find the comfortable cost of living. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Sept. 12, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Salary Needed To Afford America’s 50 Biggest Cities
