The Cost of Living Comfortably in America's 50 Largest Cities
Homeowners in 10 of the nation's largest cities need to earn at least $191,000 annually to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. While nine of these cities are based on the West Coast and the Hawaii-Pacific Islands — not unusual given each region's high cost of living — Americans might not be able to guess which East Coast city requires making more than $217,000 to live comfortably.
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To determine the income needed to live comfortably in America's 50 largest cities, GOBankingRates identified the 100 largest U.S. cities by their total population, households and household median income. We kept the top 50 cities for this article with comfortable incomes calculated for homeowners and renters in each city. The average mortgage was calculated using the average home value, assuming a 10% down payment and using the most recent national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate. For renters, the total cost of living was calculated using the average rental cost and average expenditure cost. Using the 50/30/20 finance rule, the total cost of living was doubled to determine the income needed to live comfortably for a homeowner and renter.
Irvine, California, ranked first place for the highest comfortable income for homeowners ($326,645) and renters ($130,943) in the nation. The Southern California city's median household income is $129,647, which needs to be more than double the amount for homeowners to live comfortably.
Nine of the top 10 cities with the highest comfortable incomes for homeowners are based on the West Coast and the Hawaii-Pacific Islands with one on the East Coast. Irvine aside, these remaining nine include Fremont, California (#2), San Jose, California (#3), San Francisco (#4), Honolulu (#5), San Diego (#6), Arlington, Virginia (#7), Los Angeles (#8), Anaheim, California (#9) and Seattle, Washington (#10).
California swept the top 50, with 15 cities where homeowners and renters need to earn six figures for a comfortable lifestyle. These cities include Irvine (#1), Fremont (#2), San Jose (#3), San Francisco (#4), San Diego (#6), Los Angeles (#8), Anaheim (#9), Long Beach (#12), Chula Vista (#14), Santa Ana (#15), Santa Clarita (#17), Oakland (#18), Riverside (#22), Sacramento (#31) and Stockton (#38).
None of the top 50 cities had a median household income higher than the comfortable income needed for homeowners. However, 10 cities have median household incomes that are higher than the comfortable incomes needed for renters. They include Fremont (#2), San Jose (#3), Arlington (#7), Scottsdale, Arizona (#13), Gilbert, Arizona (#24), Portland, Oregon (#25), Austin, Texas (#28), Chandler, Arizona (#29), Plano, Texas (#32) and Anchorage, Alaska (#34).
In order of highest comfortable income needed for a homeowner, here's what it costs to live comfortably in America's 50 largest cities.
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $326,645
Comfortable income needed for renters: $130,943
Household median income: $129,647
Monthly mortgage cost: $11,461
Monthly rent cost: $3,306
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $304,047
Comfortable income needed for renters: $129,981
Household median income: $176,350
Monthly mortgage cost: $10,290
Monthly rent cost: $3,038
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $294,384
Comfortable income needed for renters: $137,427
Household median income: $141,565
Monthly mortgage cost: $9,790
Monthly rent cost: $3,250
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $269,118
Comfortable income needed for renters: $145,399
Household median income: $141,446
Monthly mortgage cost: $8,638
Monthly rent cost: $3,483
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $245,515
Comfortable income needed for renters: $128,131
Household median income: $85,428
Monthly mortgage cost: $7,527
Monthly rent cost: $2,636
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $221,177
Comfortable income needed for renters: $127,425
Household median income: $104,321
Monthly mortgage cost: $7,003
Monthly rent cost: $3,096
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $217,567
Comfortable income needed for renters: $118,896
Household median income: $140,160
Monthly mortgage cost: $6,777
Monthly rent cost: $2,665
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $207,481
Comfortable income needed for renters: $125,385
Household median income: $80,366
Monthly mortgage cost: $6,264
Monthly rent cost: $2,844
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $191,853
Comfortable income needed for renters: $117,897
Household median income: $90,583
Monthly mortgage cost: $5,826
Monthly rent cost: $2,744
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $191,588
Comfortable income needed for renters: $105,801
Household median income: $121,984
Monthly mortgage cost: $5,819
Monthly rent cost: $2,244
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $190,584
Comfortable income needed for renters: $159,715
Household median income: $79,713
Monthly mortgage cost: $4,996
Monthly rent cost: $3,710
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $189,107
Comfortable income needed for renters: $112,417
Household median income: $83,969
Monthly mortgage cost: $5,554
Monthly rent cost: $2,359
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $186,055
Comfortable income needed for renters: $103,750
Household median income: $107,372
Monthly mortgage cost: $5,662
Monthly rent cost: $2,233
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $183,107
Comfortable income needed for renters: $129,258
Household median income: $105,173
Monthly mortgage cost: $5,383
Monthly rent cost: $3,139
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $182,499
Comfortable income needed for renters: $120,046
Household median income: $88,354
Monthly mortgage cost: $5,466
Monthly rent cost: $2,864
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $181,360
Comfortable income needed for renters: $135,522
Household median income: $94,755
Monthly mortgage cost: $5,210
Monthly rent cost: $3,300
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $176,330
Comfortable income needed for renters: $120,771
Household median income: $119,926
Monthly mortgage cost: $5,144
Monthly rent cost: $2,829
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $176,119
Comfortable income needed for renters: $116,308
Household median income: $97,369
Monthly mortgage cost: $4,987
Monthly rent cost: $2,495
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $168,419
Comfortable income needed for renters: $118,491
Household median income: $106,287
Monthly mortgage cost: $4,632
Monthly rent cost: $2,552
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $154,028
Comfortable income needed for renters: $136,112
Household median income: $94,813
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,982
Monthly rent cost: $3,236
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $151,340
Comfortable income needed for renters: $130,580
Household median income: $59,390
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,976
Monthly rent cost: $3,111
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $149,396
Comfortable income needed for renters: $113,746
Household median income: $88,575
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,955
Monthly rent cost: $2,469
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $137,113
Comfortable income needed for renters: $96,448
Household median income: $91,681
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,615
Monthly rent cost: $1,920
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $134,227
Comfortable income needed for renters: $102,174
Household median income: $121,351
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,483
Monthly rent cost: $2,147
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $132,502
Comfortable income needed for renters: $93,730
Household median income: $88,792
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,379
Monthly rent cost: $1,763
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $130,771
Comfortable income needed for renters: $94,008
Household median income: $78,448
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,459
Monthly rent cost: $1,927
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $130,307
Comfortable income needed for renters: $111,497
Household median income: $48,416
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,999
Monthly rent cost: $2,215
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $128,812
Comfortable income needed for renters: $88,894
Household median income: $91,461
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,341
Monthly rent cost: $1,678
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $127,764
Comfortable income needed for renters: $97,589
Household median income: $103,691
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,244
Monthly rent cost: $1,986
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $125,550
Comfortable income needed for renters: $96,462
Household median income: $88,654
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,066
Monthly rent cost: $1,854
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $124,467
Comfortable income needed for renters: $105,215
Household median income: $83,753
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,958
Monthly rent cost: $2,156
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $124,171
Comfortable income needed for renters: $90,167
Household median income: $108,649
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,168
Monthly rent cost: $1,751
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $123,694
Comfortable income needed for renters: $94,530
Household median income: $84,320
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,031
Monthly rent cost: $1,816
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $119,409
Comfortable income needed for renters: $95,527
Household median income: $98,152
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,592
Monthly rent cost: $1,597
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $118,378
Comfortable income needed for renters: $95,488
Household median income: $70,723
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,735
Monthly rent cost: $1,781
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $117,543
Comfortable income needed for renters: $88,743
Household median income: $81,308
Monthly mortgage cost: $3,009
Monthly rent cost: $1,809
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $117,501
Comfortable income needed for renters: $97,646
Household median income: $81,938
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,720
Monthly rent cost: $1,893
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $117,041
Comfortable income needed for renters: $102,180
Household median income: $76,851
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,677
Monthly rent cost: $2,057
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $114,841
Comfortable income needed for renters: $93,989
Household median income: $75,197
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,730
Monthly rent cost: $1,862
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $114,719
Comfortable income needed for renters: $89,150
Household median income: $78,779
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,704
Monthly rent cost: $1,639
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $113,262
Comfortable income needed for renters: $89,703
Household median income: $83,198
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,794
Monthly rent cost: $1,812
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Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $113,051
Comfortable income needed for renters: $84,995
Household median income: $76,983
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,727
Monthly rent cost: $1,558
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $112,487
Comfortable income needed for renters: $98,106
Household median income: $76,772
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,485
Monthly rent cost: $1,886
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $111,817
Comfortable income needed for renters: $87,242
Household median income: $82,424
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,692
Monthly rent cost: $1,668
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $110,665
Comfortable income needed for renters: $89,925
Household median income: $77,041
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,559
Monthly rent cost: $1,695
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $110,636
Comfortable income needed for renters: $96,478
Household median income: $90,685
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,517
Monthly rent cost: $1,927
That's Interesting:
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $110,620
Comfortable income needed for renters: $97,285
Household median income: $94,189
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,514
Monthly rent cost: $1,959
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $109,396
Comfortable income needed for renters: $98,885
Household median income: $69,268
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,420
Monthly rent cost: $1,982
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $108,285
Comfortable income needed for renters: $87,573
Household median income: $70,139
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,504
Monthly rent cost: $1,641
Comfortable income needed for homeowners: $107,297
Comfortable income needed for renters: $104,234
Household median income: $71,302
Monthly mortgage cost: $2,340
Monthly rent cost: $2,213
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the largest 100 US cities to find the income needed to live comfortably in each location. First, the largest 100 cities were identified along with their total population, total households, and household median income all sourced from the US Census American Community Survey. The cost of living indexes were sourced from Sperling's BestPlaces and include the grocery, healthcare, housing, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous cost of living indexes. Using the cost of living indexes and the national average expenditure costs, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure cost for each location can be calculated. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes for each location and included as supplemental information. The average single family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index for April 2025. Using the average single family home value, assuming a 10% down payment, and using the most recent (5/22/25) national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage can be calculated. Using the average mortgage and average expenditure costs, the average total monthly and annual cost of living for a homeowner can be calculated. The average rental cost was sourced from Zillow Observed Rental Index for April 2025 and using the average rent cost as well as the average expenditure cost, the total cost of living for a renter can be calculated. Using the 50/30/20 finance rule that says that needs should not exceed 50% of total household income so taking the total cost of living and doubling it will give the income needed to live comfortably for a homeowner and renter. The cities were sorted to show the highest comfortable income needed for a homeowner. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 28th, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Cost of Living Comfortably in America's 50 Largest Cities
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