There are places in America where it’s tough to get by, even if you make six figures. However, in other cities, you can really live large once your income hits $100,000.
Recently, SmartAsset looked at where in the U.S. a salary of $100,000 would go furthest. In its analysis, SmartAsset used its paycheck calculator to determine the impact of federal, state and local taxes on an annual salary of $100,000 for a single taxpayer.
Then, SmartAsset adjusted the remaining amount of income for the local cost of living in 72 of the largest cities in the U.S. The purchasing power of $100,000 in those cities ranged from a mere $30,914 in Manhattan, New York, to $88,840 in the top-ranked city.
The cost of living includes the price of:
- Housing
- Groceries
- Utilities
- Transportation
- Miscellaneous goods and services
With all that in mind, here are the cities where those who earn $100,000 have the most purchasing power.
10. St. Louis, Missouri
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $82,614
St. Louis was home to the nation’s first gas station. Alas, the Missouri city also has the dubious honor of having been the site of America’s first traffic accident.
9. Houston, Texas
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $82,986
No city in the U.S. is more ethnically diverse than Houston. At least 145 languages are spoken in the metro area, and 90 nations have consular representation here.
8. Jacksonville, Florida
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $83,878
The southernmost battle of the Revolutionary War took place in Jacksonville.
What became known as the Battle of Thomas Creek unfolded in the spring of 1777. Efforts to protect the historic site are still underway today.
7. Tulsa, Oklahoma
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $84,507
Built in 1952, Tulsa’s Golden Driller (pictured) is 75 feet tall and weighs 43,500 pounds. It is the sixth-tallest statue in the United States.
6. Lubbock, Texas
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $85,065
Rock and roll legend Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock, and his legacy lives on: Lubbock — not Austin — has more music venues per capita than any other city in Texas.
5. San Antonio, Texas
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $85,625
Not only is San Antonio home to the Alamo — the famed battle site was originally called the Mission San Antonio de Valero — but you will find four more Spanish colonial missions in this Texas city: Mission San Jose, Mission Espada, Mission San Juan Capistrano and Mission Concepcion.
4. Corpus Christi, Texas
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $86,383
Corpus Christi, Texas, has been named America’s “birdiest” city and is home to the annual Birdiest Festival in America. You can see more than 200 species of birds here during spring migration.
3. Memphis, Tennessee
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $86,960
Memphis is also known as “America’s distribution center” due to its access to the four “Rs” of logistics: runway, rail, river and road.
The Tennessee city is home to air cargo and passenger hubs, five Class I railroads and the fourth-largest inland port in the United States. In addition, four interstate highways crisscross it.
2. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $87,585
The first parking meter in the world sprang up on the streets of Oklahoma City on July 16, 1935. Dubbed the Park-o-Meter, it required drivers to pay a nickel per hour to park.
1. El Paso, Texas
What a $100,000 salary is worth here after taxes and the cost of living: $88,840
El Paso is the busiest international border crossing in the world. The Texas city is connected by a bridge across the Rio Grande river — the Paso del Norte — to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
Add a Comment