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[CNBC] 9 U.S. cities where single adults can live comfortably on the median income
Landing a job in a major U.S. city often comes with a high salary. But those same large metros tend to have higher costs of living as well.
In fact, a single adult would need to earn a minimum of $85,197 to live comfortably in any of the 100 largest U.S. cities, according to a recent SmartAsset analysis.
That figure reflects the amount you would need cover basic needs like housing, food and health care, as well as some discretionary costs and saving for the future, in Indianapolis, the least-expensive city on the list. In San Francisco, on the other hand, you'd need to bring in over $120,000 a year.
SmartAsset used estimates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator and the common 50/30/20 budget guideline to define "financially comfortable" and determine the minimum salary a single adult would need in each place. On the 50/30/20 budget, you aim to spend half of your income on needs and 30% on wants, and put 20% toward your savings and investments.
However, these minimums don't always match what typical residents earn in each city. In Indianapolis, for example, the local median household income is just $66,629, according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. Someone earning that amount would potentially have trouble setting money aside for the future without finding ways to keep their living costs low.
The median income, per Census Bureau data, lines up with SmartAsset's estimate for how much single adults need to live comfortably in just nine of the 100 largest U.S. cities. Here's a look at those places, including how much is left over after meeting SmartAsset's comfortability thresholds.
1. Fremont, California
- Annual salary needed for a single adult: $124,592
- Median household income: $170,934
- Difference: $46,342
2. Frisco, Texas
- Annual salary needed for a single adult: $107,994
- Median household income: $141,129
- Difference: $33,135
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3. Gilbert, Arizona
- Annual salary needed for a single adult: $107,037
- Median household income: $122,445
- Difference: $15,408
4. Arlington, Virginia
- Annual salary needed for a single adult: $127,046
- Median household income: $140,219
- Difference: $13,173
5. McKinney, Texas
- Annual salary needed for a single adult: $107,994
- Median household income: $116,654
- Difference: $8,660
6. San Francisco
- Annual salary needed for a single adult: $121,930
- Median household income: $126,730
- Amount leftover after needs met: $4,800
7. Santa Clarita, California
- Annual salary needed for a single adult: $115,690
- Median household income: $118,489
- Difference: $2,799
8. Plano, Texas
- Annual salary needed for a single adult: $107,994
- Median household income: $108,594
- Difference: $600
9. Washington, D.C.
- Annual salary needed for a single adult: $108,077
- Median household income: $108,210
- Difference: $133
Comfort may still be more attainable in high-cost cities
Money Report
In many cities, however, it's much harder to follow a 50/30/20 budget on a median income.
In New York City, for example, a single adult needs to earn $136,656 a year to live comfortably, according to SmartAsset, but the median income is just $76,577.
Still, a comfortable salary may be more attainable in cities like New York than those with lower costs of living. Bigger cities tend to be home to more higher-paying jobs than rural areas, a phenomenon known as the urban wage premium. Research has shown this is due in part to larger cities hosting a wider variety of occupations, as well as more specialty positions, than smaller locales.
"Typically, my high-cost area and high-salary clients have a lot more savings and disposable income, even though it's expensive to live in the city in question," Jen Swindler, a certified financial planner based in Salt Lake City, Utah, previously told CNBC Make It. "The job opportunities usually make up more than the difference."
Additionally, wages have grown much faster in larger U.S. cities than in small ones since 1980, according to Federal Reserve research. The average worker in the densest U.S. commuting zones earned 32% more than a worker in the least-populous areas in 1980, and that gap widened to 71% by 2015, a Fed analysis of Census Bureau data found.
Of course, you have to do what makes sense for your personal situation, whether it's adjusting a 50/30/20 budget strategy to fit your reality or considering relocating. Comfort is subjective as well. For some people, living with a roommate or relying on public transportation rather than owning a car is fine, while it may not be feasible for others.
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