Deciding where to live for young professionals is a difficult task. Not all salaries of $100,000 are treated equally across cities in the U.S. There are a variety of factors that go into what determines living comfortably in a city. Using these factors can help you decide which city is best for you.
What Factors Determine Comfortable Living?
The phrase comfortable living is vague. How does one determine what a comfortable living is in a certain city? Let’s break down what that means according to data that GOBankingRates analyzed:
- What is the median income in a certain city?
- How affordable is it to live in a certain city?
- What are the amenities offered by a certain city?
- What is the overall quality of life in a certain city?
Let’s see 6 cities where you can live comfortably in the U.S with a salary of $100,000.
Dallas, Texas
With an income of $100,000 you can make the most of your salary in Dallas, the median income in Dallas is $50,627 and you need a little more than that to live comfortably. Contributing to the lower cost of living in Dallas is that Texas has no state tax. Dallas also a strong job market and low healthcare costs, but public transportation is not the best. Dallas, known as the Big-D, is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex which provides an array of places to live and various amenities available to you.
Los Alamos, New Mexico
The median income in Los Alamos is $101,399 and the amount of income that is needed to live comfortably is $69,096. Los Alamos, home of the Manhattan Project, is known as the Atomic City, but has even more to offer than history including The Gateway to three national parks. Adding to Los Alamos’s livability is low healthcare, utility, and grocery costs. Los Alamos is close to other New Mexico cities, Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Houston, Texas
Houston’s median income is $46,187 which will allow you to live more comfortably on your $100,000 salary. Houston, like Dallas, has no state income tax. You’ll quickly discover that Houston has a lot of suburbs with affordable new homes which adds to its livability. You can find new homes for sale in Cypress, Texas or any of the many suburbs surrounding Houston. The Magnolia City boasts many professional sports teams, outdoor activities, and a variety of fine food options.
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix has a median income of $52,080 and below-average taxes to help keep more of your $100,000 salary in your pocket. Phoenix has a lower than average cost for groceries, healthcare, housing, utilities, and transportation making it a city that you could live in all the way through your eventual retirement. People flock to the Valley of the Sun time and time again for the outdoor activities, desert landscape, museums, and food scene.
Memphis, Tennessee
The median income for Memphis is $38,230 and you need less than $70,000 to live there comfortably. This lower cost of living let’s you stretch your six-figure income further. Beale Street brings a lot of people to Memphis to explore the home of the Blues, Soul, and Rock ‘n’ Roll. Memphis isn’t just about music history. Memphis is home to many corporate headquarters such as FedEX, Century Management, Accredo Health, and AutoZone.
Fresno, California
Fresno has a median income of $44,853 and living comfortably falls under $80,000. This may seem high to live comfortably, but it’s very affordable for California even with the high state income taxes. The overall cost of living is on the lower side for California. Fresno has the natural beauty you find in other California cities, but is located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. Fresno’s main industries are healthcare and agriculture. They even have a wine industry.
Where Do You Want to Live?
Deciding where to live as a young professional is a daunting task, but now you know some of the cities where you can take home much more of your income. Be sure you find the city that fits your lifestyle.
