Salary Needed to Live Comfortably in U.S. Cities

To truly understand the context of a household’s income, it must be compared to local costs and long-term goals, which both may fluctuate over time. For most people, the same pillars will make up the biggest nonnegotiables in their budget. These include basic necessities like housing, groceries, utilities, and transportation, and likely some discretionary spending on hobbies, activities, and other enrichment. In an attempt to secure this lifestyle for the future, many households aim to save some of their income for emergencies, investments, retirement, education and other long-term goals. A common budgeting technique that encapsulates these three pillars is called the 50/30/20 rule: 50% of your post-tax income goes to needs, 30% to your wants, and 20% gets set aside for the future.

With this in mind, SmartAsset assessed the salary needed to reach this 50/30/20 ideal – designated as a comfortable salary – based on the local costs in 100 of the largest U.S. cities.

Key Findings

A single adult needs to earn $150k to live comfortably in these places. New York, NY has the highest individual salary needed to live comfortably at $158,954. San Jose, CA follows closely at $158,080. Orange County, CA cities of Irvine, Anaheim, and Santa Ana require an estimated $151,965 in income for a single adult.
These cities have the lowest salary needed to live comfortably. San Antonio, TX has the lowest salary threshold for both single adults and families of four at $83,242 and $192,608, respectively. New Orleans, LA has the second-lowest salary needed for a single adult to live comfortably at $84,406, followed by Memphis, TN at $86,320.
The Bay Area is the most expensive place for a family to live comfortably. Bay Area cities make up the top four of five places with the highest salary needed for a family of four to live comfortably. Incomes across two parents are projected at $407,597 in San Francisco; $402,771 in San Jose; and $371,488 in both Fremont and Oakland. Boston, MA rounds out the top five at $368,742.
Families in these Texas cities are closest to a comfortable salary. In Frisco, TX, the median household earns $145,444 – substantially higher than the national median of $83,730. This figure also accounts for 63.1% of the $230,464 income a family of four in Frisco needs to live comfortably. In McKinney, TX, the $124,177 median household income accounts for 53.9% of the $230,464 needed.

10 Cities With the Highest Salary Needed to Live Comfortably

1. New York, New York

Salary needed for a single adult: $158,954
Salary needed for a working family of four: $337,875
Median household income: $81,228

2. San Jose, California

Salary needed for a single adult: $158,080
Salary needed for a working family of four: $402,771
Median household income: $148,226

3. (tie) Irvine, California

Salary needed for a single adult: $151,965
Salary needed for a working family of four: $327,226
Median household income: $145,731

3. (tie) Anaheim, California

Salary needed for a single adult: $151,965
Salary needed for a working family of four: $327,226
Median household income: $101,145

3. (tie) Santa Ana, California

Salary needed for a single adult: $151,965
Salary needed for a working family of four: $327,226
Median household income: $95,118

6. Boston, Massachusetts

Salary needed for a single adult: $139,776
Salary needed for a working family of four: $368,742
Median household income: $97,791

7. (tie) San Diego, California

Salary needed for a single adult: $136,781
Salary needed for a working family of four: $312,915
Median household income: $111,032

7. (tie) Chula Vista, California

Salary needed for a single adult: $136,781
Salary needed for a working family of four: $312,915
Median household income: $105,101

9. San Francisco, California

Salary needed for a single adult: $134,950
Salary needed for a working family of four: $407,597
Median household income: $139,801

10. (tie) Fremont, California

Salary needed for a single adult: $134,410
Salary needed for a working family of four: $371,488
Median household income: $175,816

10. (tie) Oakland, California

Salary needed for a single adult: $134,410
Salary needed for a working family of four: $371,488
Median household income: $102,235

10 Cities With the Lowest Salary Needed to Live Comfortably

San Antonio, Texas

Salary needed for a single adult: $83,242
Salary needed for a working family of four: $192,608
Median household income: $66,176

New Orleans, Louisiana

Salary needed for a single adult: $84,406
Salary needed for a working family of four: $197,766
Median household income: $58,821

Memphis, Tennessee

Salary needed for a single adult: $86,320
Salary needed for a working family of four: $193,939
Median household income: $52,679

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Salary needed for a single adult: $86,861
Salary needed for a working family of four: $213,325
Median household income: $70,040

Baltimore, Maryland

Salary needed for a single adult: $87,485
Salary needed for a working family of four: $224,224
Median household income: $64,778

Louisville, Kentucky

Salary needed for a single adult: $88,234
Salary needed for a working family of four: $212,742
Median household income: $67,251

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Salary needed for a single adult: $88,317
Salary needed for a working family of four: $215,238
Median household income: $60,930

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Salary needed for a single adult: $88,442
Salary needed for a working family of four: $205,421
Median household income: $57,758

Tucson, Arizona

Salary needed for a single adult: $88,899
Salary needed for a working family of four: $218,400
Median household income: $60,483

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Salary needed for a single adult: $88,982
Salary needed for a working family of four: $233,126
Median household income: $61,436

Data and Methodology

SmartAsset used MIT Living Wage Calculator data to gather the basic cost of living for an individual with no children and for two working adults with two children. Data includes cost of necessities including housing, food, transportation and income taxes. It was last updated to reflect the most recent data available on Feb. 15, 2026.

Applying these costs to the 50/30/20 budget for 100 of the largest U.S. cities, MIT’s living wage is assumed to cover needs (i.e. 50% of one’s budget). From there the total annual wage was extrapolated for individuals and families to spend 30% of the total on wants and 20% on savings or debt payments. Median household income data for cities comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 1 Year American Community Survey for 2024.

Salary Needed to Live Comfortably in U.S. Cities – 2026 Study