Advertisement
U.S. markets closed
  • S&P 500

    5,254.35
    +5.86 (+0.11%)
     
  • Dow 30

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    16,379.46
    -20.06 (-0.12%)
     
  • Russell 2000

    2,124.55
    +10.20 (+0.48%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    83.11
    -0.06 (-0.07%)
     
  • Gold

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • Silver

    25.10
    +0.18 (+0.74%)
     
  • EUR/USD

    1.0781
    -0.0013 (-0.12%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.2060
    +0.0100 (+0.24%)
     
  • dólar/libra

    1.2624
    +0.0002 (+0.01%)
     
  • USD/JPY

    151.3610
    -0.0110 (-0.01%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    70,099.77
    -208.41 (-0.30%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • Nikkei 225

    40,369.44
    +201.37 (+0.50%)
     

How Far a $100,000 Salary Goes in America’s 50 Largest Cities

How Far a $100,000 Salary Goes in America’s 50 Largest Cities

If you earn a $100,000 salary, congratulations: You make much more than the median worker in America. However, the quality of life you can have with a $100,000 salary varies considerably from city to city.

GOBankingRates took a look at how far a $100K salary would go in major cities across the country, after subtracting necessary expenses such as taxes, groceries, rent, utilities, healthcare and driving costs. The cities on this list are the 50 most populous cities in the U.S., and they could be among the best places to live on a $100,000 salary.

Last updated: Sept. 2, 2020

Albuquerque, New Mexico

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,800.50

  • Annual rent: $14,904

  • Annual groceries: $3,542

  • Annual utilities: $1,728

  • Annual driving costs: $11,845

  • Annual healthcare: $6,297

  • Income leftover: $36,485

Albuquerque is better than average when it comes to take-home pay on a $100,000 salary. Below-average rents, driving costs, healthcare and utility expenses help people earning $100,000 live comfortably in this big city.

Arlington, Texas

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $18,768

  • Annual groceries: $3,312

  • Annual utilities: $2,076.60

  • Annual driving costs: $13,023

  • Annual healthcare: $6,025

  • Income leftover: $36,043

Arlington is right about average when it comes to take-home pay on a $100,000 salary. Some of the highest driving costs in the country are countered by the lack of Texas state income tax.

Stretch Your Salary Further: 101 Side Business Ideas

Atlanta

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $73,934.70

  • Annual rent: $19,908

  • Annual groceries: $3,985

  • Annual utilities: $1,794.48

  • Annual driving costs: $10,925

  • Annual healthcare: $5,802

  • Income leftover: $31,520

Healthcare costs in Atlanta are some of the lowest in the country. Overall, costs are below average, helping workers who earn $100,000 keep more of their paychecks.

Austin, Texas

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $22,224

  • Annual groceries: $3,870

  • Annual utilities: $1,881.48

  • Annual driving costs: $12,481

  • Annual healthcare: $6,025

  • Income leftover: $32,767

Overall take-home pay in Austin lands squarely around the average, at $32,767 after all taxes and expenses. Rent is a bit above average, but the lack of state tax makes Austin an affordable city.

Baltimore

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,604.57

  • Annual rent: $15,468

  • Annual groceries: $4,129

  • Annual utilities: $1,897.08

  • Annual driving costs: $9,796

  • Annual healthcare: $7,501

  • Income leftover: $35,814

Baltimore is another city that runs right about average when it comes to leftover income after taxes and expenses. The biggest relative cost for residents is rent, which comes in above average.

Boston

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,197.70

  • Annual rent: $32,496

  • Annual groceries: $5,245

  • Annual utilities: $1,874.64

  • Annual driving costs: $8,037

  • Annual healthcare: $9,234

  • Income leftover: $17,311

Massachusetts has a reputation as a high-tax state, but a whole host of high costs lands Boston in the bottom 10 when it comes to take-home pay on a $100,000 salary. City residents suffer from high rent and grocery costs as well, along with the second-highest healthcare expenses of any city.

Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,432.70

  • Annual rent: $16,980

  • Annual groceries: $4,144

  • Annual utilities: $2,021.04

  • Annual driving costs: $12,240

  • Annual healthcare: $6,170

  • Income leftover: $32,878

Charlotte has about-average expenses across the board. Healthcare expenses are a bit below average, helping residents to keep more of their net paychecks.

Chicago

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,297.70

  • Annual rent: $20,292

  • Annual groceries: $4,053

  • Annual utilities: $1,563.48

  • Annual driving costs: $9,280

  • Annual healthcare: $7,129

  • Income leftover: $31,980

Rents in Chicago are a bit more expensive than average, helping to reduce the leftover income on a $100,000 salary in the city. However, driving costs are quite low, no doubt in part due to the city’s wide-ranging transportation system.

Cleveland

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $75,912.50

  • Annual rent: $10,644

  • Annual groceries: $3,970

  • Annual utilities: $1,990.56

  • Annual driving costs: $10,245

  • Annual healthcare: $7,526

  • Income leftover: $41,537

If you want to live in the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, you’ll be happy to learn that Cleveland is the fourth-most affordable city on the list for people earning $100,000.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,793.70

  • Annual rent: $18,708

  • Annual groceries: $3,971

  • Annual utilities: $1,705.32

  • Annual driving costs: $12,516

  • Annual healthcare: $6,500

  • Income leftover: $31,393

Colorado Springs residents enjoy a decent amount of leftover income on a salary of $100,000. No expenses are particularly out of line, although it costs more to drive in the city than others.

Columbus, Ohio

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $75,912.50

  • Annual rent: $14,844

  • Annual groceries: $3,500

  • Annual utilities: $2,027.28

  • Annual driving costs: $11,535

  • Annual healthcare: $7,526

  • Income leftover: $36,480

It’s cheaper to live in Columbus than about two-thirds of the nation’s biggest cities, thanks to generally affordable costs across the board. Its above-average healthcare costs are the biggest drag on after-expense income.

Dallas

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $17,952

  • Annual groceries: $3,421

  • Annual utilities: $1,807.20

  • Annual driving costs: $11,735

  • Annual healthcare: $6,025

  • Income leftover: $38,307

Residents of the city they call Big D enjoy a bigger slice of their incomes thanks to the lack of Texas state tax. Low healthcare costs also contribute to the low expense structure.

Denver

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,793.70

  • Annual rent: $25,560

  • Annual groceries: $4,020

  • Annual utilities: $1,448.52

  • Annual driving costs: $11,674

  • Annual healthcare: $6,500

  • Income leftover: $25,591

Denver nearly cracks the bottom 10 when it comes to leftover income on a $100,000 salary. Rent and groceries are the two main culprits pulling money out of residents’ pockets.

Detroit

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,997.70

  • Annual rent: $9,552

  • Annual groceries: $3,638

  • Annual utilities: $2,053.08

  • Annual driving costs: $11,337

  • Annual healthcare: $6,869

  • Income leftover: $41,549

Detroit has higher-than-average utility costs and its residents have to pay state income tax. However, the city still ranks as the third-most affordable city on the list primarily due to its average rents, which are the lowest in the nation.

El Paso, Texas

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $12,252

  • Annual groceries: $2,450

  • Annual utilities: $1,545

  • Annual driving costs: $12,790

  • Annual healthcare: $6,025

  • Income leftover: $44,185

Apparently, not everything is bigger in Texas. With no state income tax and by far the lowest grocery costs of any large city, El Paso ranks No. 2 on the list of best cities for those earning $100,000.

Fort Worth, Texas

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $17,820

  • Annual groceries: $3,293

  • Annual utilities: $1,881.48

  • Annual driving costs: $13,344

  • Annual healthcare: $6,025

  • Income leftover: $36,884

Fort Worth residents don’t fare quite as well as those in sister city Dallas when it comes to leftover income on a $100,000 salary. Driving costs are particularly high, the fifth-most expensive in the country. The lack of state income tax keeps Fort Worth in the top half of leftover income on a national basis.

Fresno, California

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44

  • Annual rent: $16,308

  • Annual groceries: $2,868

  • Annual utilities: $1,861.32

  • Annual driving costs: $14,047

  • Annual healthcare: $7,203

  • Income leftover: $30,018

Fresno ranks in the lower third of the nation when it comes to leftover income on a $100,00 salary, thanks in no small part to high California state income taxes. Driving costs also come in second-highest of any city on the list.

Houston

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $17,448

  • Annual groceries: $3,077

  • Annual utilities: $1,608.96

  • Annual driving costs: $12,028

  • Annual healthcare: $6,025

  • Income leftover: $39,060

Houston ranks No. 9 on the list of cities with the most take-home pay on a $100,000 salary, despite a relatively high housing cost. As with most cities in the top 10, Houston benefits from the lack of state income tax.

Indianapolis

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $76,017.70

  • Annual rent: $13,824

  • Annual groceries: $3,862

  • Annual utilities: $1,864.80

  • Annual driving costs: $12,547

  • Annual healthcare: $7,773

  • Income leftover: $36,146

Indianapolis residents get to keep a bit more of their $100,000 paychecks than residents of some other cities. The biggest hit on leftover income is the city’s driving costs; the rest hover near the average.

Jacksonville, Florida

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $15,192

  • Annual groceries: $3,874

  • Annual utilities: $1,802.28

  • Annual driving costs: $12,359

  • Annual healthcare: $6,787

  • Income leftover: $39,233

Jacksonville earns a spot in the top 10 places to earn $100,000 primarily due to its lack of state income tax. Other expenses across the board are moderate, helping to keep a lid on overall costs.

Kansas City, Missouri

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,687.70

  • Annual rent: $13,764

  • Annual groceries: $3,512

  • Annual utilities: $2,748.12

  • Annual driving costs: $12,132

  • Annual healthcare: $7,086

  • Income leftover: $35,446

Kansas City residents earning $100,000 keep a bit over $35,000 of their pay after taxes and expenses, which is right about at the national average. Grocery costs are a bit below average.

Las Vegas

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $16,656

  • Annual groceries: $3,581

  • Annual utilities: $1,777.68

  • Annual driving costs: $12,656

  • Annual healthcare: $5,657

  • Income leftover: $38,920

Las Vegas rounds out the top 10 when it comes to leftover income on a $100,000 salary thanks to to major factors: the lack of state income tax and the lowest annual healthcare costs of any city on the list.

Long Beach, California

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44

  • Annual rent: $31,776

  • Annual groceries: $3,916

  • Annual utilities: $1,760.04

  • Annual driving costs: $11,987

  • Annual healthcare: $7,203

  • Income leftover: $15,663

This port city carries many of the same expense burdens as its neighbor, Los Angeles, including high state income taxes and rents. These costs drag the city down into the bottom 10 when it comes to leftover income.

Los Angeles

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44

  • Annual rent: $36,996

  • Annual groceries: $4,122

  • Annual utilities: $1,765.20

  • Annual driving costs: $12,530

  • Annual healthcare: $7,203

  • Income leftover: $9,689

Los Angeles may be the City of Angels, but it’s not a good city for keeping your paycheck. State income taxes and high rents take a big chunk out of a $100,000 salary in the city.

Louisville, Kentucky

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,377.20

  • Annual rent: $12,432

  • Annual groceries: $3,288

  • Annual utilities: $1,803.84

  • Annual driving costs: $11,146

  • Annual healthcare: $6,524

  • Income leftover: $39,184

Low rents and grocery costs help Louisville residents keep more of their paychecks. Even though residents have to pay state tax, the overall take-home pay for six-figure earners in Louisville ranks in the top 10.

Memphis, Tennessee

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $10,344

  • Annual groceries: $3,084

  • Annual utilities: $1,696.56

  • Annual driving costs: $11,658

  • Annual healthcare: $6,372

  • Income leftover: $46,093

If you’re a fan of the blues, you’re in luck. Memphis is not only home to some of the world’s best music, it’s also the No. 1 city on the list when it comes to affordability for a $100,000 earner. Extremely low rent and the lack of state income tax help kick Memphis to the top spot.

Mesa, Arizona

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $76,547.70

  • Annual rent: $17,016

  • Annual groceries: $3,390

  • Annual utilities: $1,829.52

  • Annual driving costs: $12,836

  • Annual healthcare: $5,681

  • Income leftover: $35,795

Mesa is a decent city to live in from a cost perspective if you earn $100,000, as you’ll be left with an about-average $35,795 after taxes and expenses. Driving costs are the biggest drag on leftover income.

Read: Celebrity Salaries vs. the Salaries of the Characters They Play on TV

Miami

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $25,308

  • Annual groceries: $4,272

  • Annual utilities: $1,411.20

  • Annual driving costs: $9,718

  • Annual healthcare: $6,787

  • Income leftover: $31,751

Miami residents benefit from having no state income tax. However, even with that Florida tax break, leftover income for Miami residents earning $100,000 is below average. Above-average rents are the main culprit.

Milwaukee

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $73,272.27

  • Annual rent: $13,860

  • Annual groceries: $3,641

  • Annual utilities: $1,515.72

  • Annual driving costs: $10,481

  • Annual healthcare: $7,818

  • Income leftover: $35,956

The legendary home of brats, beer and cheese has about average total expenses for a $100,000 earner. State taxes are higher than average, but utilities and rents are below average.

Minneapolis

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,733.70

  • Annual rent: $20,556

  • Annual groceries: $4,003

  • Annual utilities: $1,618.80

  • Annual driving costs: $10,830

  • Annual healthcare: $8,277

  • Income leftover: $27,449

Rent and state taxes are above average in Minneapolis, but the third-highest healthcare costs on the list are enough to push the city to the lower half of the rankings. The good news is that as of late, salaries in Minneapolis are growing.

Nashville, Tennessee

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $19,224

  • Annual groceries: $3,558

  • Annual utilities: $1,911.84

  • Annual driving costs: $12,331

  • Annual healthcare: $6,372

  • Income leftover: $35,851

Total costs in Nashville are about average for a $100,000 earner. Utility costs are above average, but healthcare costs fall below average.

New York

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $73,751.14

  • Annual rent: $28,764

  • Annual groceries: $5,699

  • Annual utilities: $1,785.72

  • Annual driving costs: $4,881

  • Annual healthcare: $7,953

  • Income leftover: $24,668

New York has a reputation as a high-cost state, and the numbers bear that out, at least for New York City. Rent and healthcare costs are above average, but the city’s driving costs are the cheapest in the nation, due to the extensive public transportation options available in the city.

Oakland, California

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44

  • Annual rent: $38,028

  • Annual groceries: $4,909

  • Annual utilities: $1,576.44

  • Annual driving costs: $12,141

  • Annual healthcare: $7,203

  • Income leftover: $8,448

Oakland rounds out the triumvirate of San Francisco Bay Area cities in which a $100,000 salary can barely cover costs. High state income taxes and the third-highest rents of any city pack a wallop for resident paychecks.

Oklahoma City

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,753.70

  • Annual rent: $13,128

  • Annual groceries: $3,263

  • Annual utilities: $2,004.36

  • Annual driving costs: $12,906

  • Annual healthcare: $6,070

  • Income leftover: $37,382

Residents of Oklahoma City enjoy leftover income higher than two-thirds of the country on a salary of $100,000. Some of the cheapest rents in the country help out resident paychecks, although utility costs are above average.

Omaha, Nebraska

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $73,399.69

  • Annual rent: $16,152

  • Annual groceries: $3,617

  • Annual utilities: $1,845

  • Annual driving costs: $12,478

  • Annual healthcare: $7,230

  • Income leftover: $32,077

Noted billionaire Warren Buffett calls Omaha home, but the city also has plenty of contented earners of a $100,000 salary. Costs overall in the city are about average.

Philadelphia

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $76,117.70

  • Annual rent: $15,036

  • Annual groceries: $5,098

  • Annual utilities: $1,747.32

  • Annual driving costs: $9,171

  • Annual healthcare: $7,805

  • Income leftover: $37,260

The City of Brotherly Love has some happy residents, as workers making $100,000 end up with more in their pockets than about two-thirds of the cities on the list. Very low driving costs and below-average rents are the main drivers of the city’s placement.

Phoenix

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $76,547.70

  • Annual rent: $16,788

  • Annual groceries: $3,409

  • Annual utilities: $1,829.52

  • Annual driving costs: $12,517

  • Annual healthcare: $5,681

  • Income leftover: $36,323

Phoenix has below-average taxes and the third-lowest healthcare costs in the country, helping keep more in the pockets of the city’s six-figure earners. The cost of groceries is also below average.

Portland, Oregon

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $71,187.74

  • Annual rent: $22,824

  • Annual groceries: $4,435

  • Annual utilities: $1,995.72

  • Annual driving costs: $12,005

  • Annual healthcare: $7,181.00

  • Income leftover: $22,747

Portland’s six-figure earners feel the biggest sting of any city when it comes to state income tax, owing a whopping $7,935. Although rents are moderate, other expenses, such as utilities and driving costs, help drag down Portland’s ranking into the bottom 10 when it comes to take-home pay.

Raleigh, North Carolina

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,432.70

  • Annual rent: $17,592

  • Annual groceries: $4,552

  • Annual utilities: $1,526.52

  • Annual driving costs: $12,893

  • Annual healthcare: $6,170

  • Income leftover: $31,699

A $100,000 salary in Raleigh will net you a bit less after taxes and expenses than in other cities, thanks in part to the eighth-highest grocery costs on this list. Driving costs are also quite high, but utility expenses are well below average.

Sacramento, California

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44

  • Annual rent: $20,736.00

  • Annual groceries: $4,357.00

  • Annual utilities: $2,375.16

  • Annual driving costs: $13,352.00

  • Annual healthcare: $7,203.00

  • Income leftover: $24,282.00

Sacramento is another city that falls prey to the high state taxes affecting employees who earn $100,000. Driving costs are also the fourth-highest of any city on the list. Combined, these expenses drag Sacramento down near the bottom 10 when it comes to leftover income.

San Antonio

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $79,247.70

  • Annual rent: $15,744

  • Annual groceries: $3,529

  • Annual utilities: $2,066.76

  • Annual driving costs: $12,533

  • Annual healthcare: $6,025

  • Income leftover: $39,350

Groceries cost a bit below average in San Antonio, but the main reason for the low overall cost of living in the city is due to the lack of state taxes. Overall, San Antonio ranks No. 6 on the list of most affordable large cities.

San Diego

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44

  • Annual rent: $32,700

  • Annual groceries: $3,798

  • Annual utilities: $1,600.56

  • Annual driving costs: $13,927

  • Annual healthcare: $7,203

  • Income leftover: $13,077

San Diego is blessed with what some say is the best weather in the country, and that can go a long way to soothe the sting that expenses take out of the average $100,000 paycheck. State income taxes are the biggest culprit here, but driving costs also play a big role.

San Francisco

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44

  • Annual rent: $52,200.00

  • Annual groceries: $5,361.00

  • Annual utilities: $1,418.76

  • Annual driving costs: $8,856.00

  • Annual healthcare: $7,203.00

  • Income leftover: -$2,734.00

San Francisco is the only city on the list in which residents cannot cover everyday expenses on a $100,000 salary. You’ll need to earn about $104,000 in San Francisco just to get by, since a $100K salary after taxes drops take-home pay to just over $72,000. The highest average rents on the entire list and the third-highest grocery costs also weigh down paychecks.

Check Out: 20 ‘Boring’ Jobs That Pay $100,000 or More

San Jose, California

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44

  • Annual rent: $41,676

  • Annual groceries: $4,248

  • Annual utilities: $1,475.64

  • Annual driving costs: $15,903

  • Annual healthcare: $7,203

  • Income leftover: $1,800

Much like its sister city to the north, San Jose burdens its residents with high state income taxes and high overall expenses, particularly in driving costs, which are the highest of any city. A $100,000 salary is barely enough to get by.

Seattle

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $78,994.38

  • Annual rent: $31,008

  • Annual groceries: $4,765

  • Annual utilities: $1,860.12

  • Annual driving costs: $11,812

  • Annual healthcare: $7,530

  • Income leftover: $22,019

Washington has no state income tax, so for Seattle to appear in the bottom 10 of cities in terms of take-home pay means it’s an expensive place to live. With the exception of groceries, costs are above-average across the board in Seattle.

Tucson, Arizona

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $76,547.70

  • Annual rent: $14,328

  • Annual groceries: $3,607

  • Annual utilities: $3,564.12

  • Annual driving costs: $11,310

  • Annual healthcare: $5,681

  • Income leftover: $38,058

Tucson nearly cracks the top 10 in terms of most income left in the pockets of workers making a $100,000 salary. Low costs across the board contribute to the city’s lofty placement, particularly when it comes to healthcare.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,753.70

  • Annual rent: $11,616

  • Annual groceries: $3,594

  • Annual utilities: $1,880.16

  • Annual driving costs: $12,184

  • Annual healthcare: $6,070

  • Income leftover: $39,410

With rents below $1,000 per month on average, Tulsa is a very affordable city. If you earn $100,000, you can expect to keep nearly $40,000 after all expenses.

Virginia Beach, Virginia

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $73,927.70

  • Annual rent: $19,236

  • Annual groceries: $4,112

  • Annual utilities: $1,633.44

  • Annual driving costs: $12,402

  • Annual healthcare: $6,460

  • Income leftover: $30,085

Most costs in Virginia Beach are about average or slightly above. Altogether, these expenses drag the city down to below-average when it comes to leftover income.

Washington, District of Columbia

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $72,347.70

  • Annual rent: $32,352

  • Annual groceries: $5,652

  • Annual utilities: $1,482

  • Annual driving costs: $8,921

  • Annual healthcare: $10,036

  • Income leftover: $13,904

It’s expensive to live in the nation’s capital, which claims the ignominious prize of having the highest healthcare costs in the country. The district also suffers from high rents and the second-highest grocery costs.

Wichita, Kansas

  • Federal income taxes: $17,262.50

  • Net pay after income taxes: $74,175.70

  • Annual rent: $11,556

  • Annual groceries: $3,397

  • Annual utilities: $2,121.12

  • Annual driving costs: $12,916

  • Annual healthcare: $6,418

  • Income leftover: $37,768

Wichita has higher-than-average state income taxes, but overall, the city ranks in the top third when it comes to income leftover in the pockets of its workers making $100,000. The fourth-lowest rent in the country is enough to do the trick.

Is $100K a Good Salary?

It can be hard to live in some states on the take-home pay from a $100,000 salary, due in no small part to high state income taxes. Other expenses, such as groceries, utilities and driving costs, are also highly variable by state and city, so you should factor all of those in before deciding to take a job or buy a home in a particular city.

Even at the lofty $100K salary range, your salary after taxes might require you to create a budget to help figure out where to save money on monthly expenses. If trimming the fat isn’t enough to get you to a comfortable level of available income, consider a lateral move within a state — or to a neighboring state — where these expenses are lower.

For example, California has a lot to offer, but it also has very high state income tax rates. Just across the border in Nevada, you could enjoy a 0% state income tax. Similarly, Portland residents pay the highest chunk of any city on the list to state income taxes, but just across its northerly border, Washington residents enjoy paying no state income tax.

The reality of a $100,000 salary is that it goes a long way in some cities and not very far in others. Even within the same state, expenses beyond taxes can be much higher or lower in neighboring cities. Remember that it’s your net pay after all expenses, not your gross pay, that determines how much leftover income you have to enhance your quality of life.

More From GOBankingRates

Methodology: GOBankingrates determined how far $100,000 salary goes in 50 major cities by first compiling a list of the 50 largest cities in the U.S. by population, sourced from the Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey. For each city, it was assumed an individual earns $100,000 a year before taxes. The following factors were applied: (1) net income after federal and state income taxes, including where applicable additional taxes for state disability insurance, state unemployment insurance, family leave insurance, workers compensation, and in Oregon, state transit tax; (2) annual cost of rent in each city, based on monthly median rent multiplied by 12, sourced from Zillow’s March 2019 rental index; (3) annual cost of groceries in each city, based on the average cost of a month’s groceries multiplied by 12, sourced from Numbeo; (4) annual cost of utilities in each city, based on a month’s utilities multiplied by 12; (5) annual driving costs, based on the combined costs of ownership, maintenance and gas in each city, based on April 24, 2019, per gallon gas prices from GasBuddy, and cost of ownership, maintenance and gas annually, sourced from H+T Index; (6) annual cost of healthcare, based on annual per capita expenditure by state in 2017, sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. All these costs of living were subtracted from each city’s after-tax income to determine how much income was left over; cities were then ranked, with the best cities having the most income left over, and the worst cities having the least or a negative amount left over.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Far a $100,000 Salary Goes in America’s 50 Largest Cities

Advertisement