Salary Needed to Live in U.S. Cities
How much you need to earn to live comfortably in each city, for a single person. Click a city for the full breakdown.
"How much do I need to earn to live here?" is the question behind most relocation decisions. The honest answer depends on the city: rent, everyday prices, and the size of your household all push the number up or down. This page estimates a comfortable salary for each city so you can plan with real figures.
Our estimates keep housing at roughly 30% of gross pay, the threshold many lenders and budget guides treat as affordable, and adjust the rest of your spending to local prices. The table below ranks cities by the salary a single person needs, with the family-of-four figure alongside.
Salary Needed by City
| City | Salary needed (single) | Salary needed (family) |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | $98,400 | $159,900 |
| San Francisco, CA | $95,400 | $149,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $93,100 | $147,200 |
| San Jose, CA | $88,500 | $157,800 |
| Seattle, WA | $85,800 | $130,900 |
| New York, NY | $81,000 | $113,400 |
| Miami, FL | $76,000 | $128,600 |
| Denver, CO | $70,200 | $109,400 |
| Dallas, TX | $65,900 | $97,200 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $65,900 | $97,200 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $63,300 | $98,100 |
| Chicago, IL | $63,200 | $91,800 |
| Austin, TX | $62,500 | $93,900 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $60,800 | $86,800 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $50,700 | $76,300 |
| Columbus, OH | $47,800 | $68,600 |
| San Antonio, TX | $40,100 | $57,700 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $36,900 | $60,500 |
| Houston, TX | $35,600 | $63,300 |
| Charlotte, NC | $34,700 | $59,100 |
What "Salary Needed" Really Means
These figures are a starting point, not a strict rule. They describe what it takes to cover rent and everyday costs without stretching your budget, based on a single earner in a one-bedroom or a family of four in a three-bedroom. Your own number will shift with debt, childcare, commuting, and lifestyle.
Use the salary needed alongside each city's median income to gauge how realistic local pay is. Where the typical household earns well above the comfortable salary, your money stretches further; where it falls short, budgets are tighter even on a decent wage. Open any city for the full calculation.