Overview
- SmartAsset ranked 100 cities by the income needed to live comfortably using MIT’s Living Wage Calculator as the cost baseline and the 50/30/20 budget rule for needs, wants, and savings.
- New York City is the most expensive, with a single adult needing $158,954 a year and a family of four needing $337,875, far above the city’s $81,228 median household income.
- California dominates the top tier, and San Francisco ranks ninth at $134,950 for a single adult and $407,597 for a family of four, with Bay Area cities leading the family-cost list.
- Texas stands out for lower thresholds, with single adults needing $83,242 in San Antonio, $89,981 in Houston, and $98,550 in Austin to meet the study’s comfort target.
- The New York–Los Angeles gap for a single adult tops $38,600 a year, with Los Angeles at $120,307, underscoring how many big-city budgets outpace local incomes and shape where people can feasibly move and save.