How Much Do American taxpayers Need To Earn To Live Comfortably in Every City in the USA? Released 2025 Data Study.
Below is a complete breakdown of salary requirements by size for every U.S. metropolitan area and all 50 states.
https://upgradedpoints.com/news/comfortable-living-salary-us-cities/
This analysis uses data from the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator and the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. The EPI tool estimates the annual cost of living in U.S. cities, including essential expenses such as housing, food, child care, transportation, health care, taxes, and other necessities. The ACS provides median income data for actual individuals and families, used here for comparison.
Researchers applied the 50/30/20 budget rule, which allocates 50% of income to necessities, 30% to discretionary spending, and 20% to savings or debt payments. Based on local costs of necessities from EPI, they calculated the required salary to stay within this rule for each city. The researchers then estimated a comfortable living wage across various household types, including single adults, couples with no children, and families with up to 3 children.
