How Far a 50K Salary Would Get You in 30 American Cities (2024)

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How Far a 50K Salary Would Get You in 30 American Cities (2)

Wondering, “What can I afford with $50,000 a year?” We’ve taken a closer look at the basic expenses of 30 American cities to see where you’d be able to live comfortably on a fairly average yearly salary.

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How Far a 50k Salary Would Get You in 30 American Cities Transcript

The Average Costs of Necessary Expenses Vs. Minimum Wage and Average Income in the Most Populated Cities of the US

CityLouisville, KYBaltimore, MDLas Vegas, NVOklahoma City, OKPortland, ORNashville, TNBoston, MAMemphis, TNWashington, D.C.
Food$2986$2986$3564$2986$3564$2986$3467$2986$2986
Medical$2298$2507$2242$2195$2030$2237$2688$2237$2506
Housing$6565$10836$7560$6762$11352$8231$13333$7504$17078
Transportation$4236$4236$3860$4236$3860$4236$3609$4236$4236
Other$2656$2656$2803$2656$2803$2656$2656$2656$2656
Annual Income Taxes$3496$4406$2794$3367$4975$2838$3593$2737$5700
Total income needed$22237$27627$22823$22202$28584$23186$29346$22356$35162
Minimum Wage Salary$15080 ($7.25/hr)$19240 ($9.25/hr)$17,160 ($8.25/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$21320 ($10.25/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$22,880 ($11/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$26,000 ($12.50/hr)
Living Wage Salary $22235 ($10.69/hr)$27622 ($13.28/hr)$22817

($10.97/hr)

$22193 ($10.67/hr)$28579 ($13.74/hr)$23192 ($11.15/hr)$29348 ($14.11/hr)$22360 ($10.75/hr)$35152 ($16.90/hr)
Average Salary$48821$56177$47968$47965$55438$51263$70983$47264$71007
Detroit, MIEl Paso, TXDenver, COSeattle, WACharlotte, NCFort Worth, TXColumbus, OHIndianapolis, INSan Fransisco, CA
Food$3050$2986$3564$3564$2986$2986$3050$3050$3564
Medical$2243$2203$2395$1984$2195$2203$2361$2297$2150
Housing$6961$6553$10128$12226$8190$8179$6924$7035$19566
Transportation$4173$4236$3860$3860$4236$4236$4173$4173$3860
Other$2877$2656$2803$2803$2656$2656$2877$2877$2803
Annual Income Taxes$3506$2599$4186$3409$3961$2826$2965$3337$4999
Total income needed$22810$21233$26937$27846$24224$23086$22350$22769$36942
Minimum Wage Salary$19240 ($9.25/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$21216 ($10.20/hr)$23920 ($11.50/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$17,264 ($8.30/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$22,880 ($11/hr)
Living Wage Salary$22817 ($10.97/hr)$21236 ($10.21/hr)$26936 ($12.95/hr)$27851 ($13.39/hr)$24232 ($11.65/hr)$23088.00 ($11.10/hr)$22360 ($10.75/hr)$22776 ($10.95/hr)$36941($17.76/hr)
Average Salary$58,931$40539$60550$69154$54,707$50,882$51,612$51,256$85,917
Jacksonville, FLAustin, TXSan Jose, CADallas, TXSan Diego, CASan Antonio, TXPhoenix, AZPhiladelphia, PAHouston, TX
Food$2986$2986$3564$2986$3564$2986$3564$3467$2986
Medical$2583$2203$2150$2203$2150$2203$2291$2349$2203
Housing$7372$9588$17909$8179$14544$7426$7488$10140$8446
Transportation$4236$4236$3860$4236$3860$4236$3860$3609$4236
Other$2656$2656$2803$2656$2803$2656$2803$2656$2656
Annual Income Taxes$2767$3023$4768$2826$4299$2721$3338$3100$2864
Total income needed$22600$24692$35054$23086$31220$22228$23,343$25321$23390
Minimum Wage Salary$17,160 ($8.25/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$22,880 ($11/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$22,880 ($11/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$21840 ($10.50/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)$15080 ($7.25/hr)
Living Wage Salary$22609 ($10.87/hr)$24689 ($11.87/hr)$35048 ($16.85/hr)$23088.00 ($11.10/hr)$31220 ($15.01/hr)$22235 ($10.69/hr)$23337 ($11.22/hr)$25313 ($12.17/hr)$23400 ($11.25/hr)
Average Salary$47035$58567$84225$60015$60992$53855$5300$59827$59581
Chicago, ILLos Angeles, CANewYork, NY
Food$3050$3564$3467
Medical$2501$2150$2367
Housing$10487$12623$14,542
Transportation$4173$3860$3609
Other$2877$2803$2656
Annual Income Taxes$4049$4031$5004
Total income needed2713729031$31645
Minimum Wage Salary$17160 ($8.25/hr)$22880 ($11/hr)$21632 ($10.40/hr)
Living Wage Salary$29036 ($13.96/hr)$29036 ($13.96/hr)$31636 ($15.21/hr)
Average Salary$62746$62564$68992

Sources:

Is $50K a Good Salary?

Let’s look at the facts: In the United States, the median household income is $57,617, which often includes multiple household members’ incomes as well as side gigs. Considering that 47% of the country makes less than $50,000 per household, you’re already in the upper crust. And that’s for household data! The median personal income in the U.S. is quite different, about $31,099. So if you’re asking, “Is $50,000 a year a good salary?” in comparison to other Americans, the answer is yes. If you’re asking, “Is $50,000 a good salary?” because you want to know if it’s a reasonable wage to live off of comfortably, that answer is a bit more complicated.

What Can I Afford With $50,000 a Year?

The answer depends on where you live. For the top 30 most populated cities in the U.S., you need between $20K and $35K a year to cover basic expenses, including food, medical costs, housing, transportation, taxes, and other expenses. This is according to MIT’s Living Wage Index, which calculates what a fair wage would look like in various American cities. In many places, there’s a massive gap between the minimum wage and living wage. For those who want a slightly more affluent lifestyle — a nicer apartment, brunches on weekends — expect to need a cushion of $5K to $10K more per year.

How Much Rent Can I Afford on a $50K Salary?

Housing costs vary an extreme amount based on your location. If you’re asking, “How much house can I afford?” a $50,000 salary may only be able to get you a closet in San Francisco. The rule of thumb for rent is that many people can afford a $1,250 apartment with a $50K salary, but it can’t go far above that. If you specifically want to know, “What house can I afford on $50K a year?” it depends on your down payment, but the price generally would be somewhere around $200K. Getting something in that price range in Manhattan could be pretty difficult! We took a look at how much house $500K gets you in different cities previously, and those results may be a bit disheartening.

Contents

    How Far a 50K Salary Would Get You in 30 American Cities (2024)

    FAQs

    Is 50k a respectable salary? ›

    A $50,000 annual salary translates to approximately $24 per hour based on a standard 40-hour work week. Is $50,000 a year considered a good salary? Whether $50,000 a year is considered a good salary depends on your location and lifestyle. It's above the U.S. national average but below the median household income.

    Can you live off a 50k salary? ›

    What Can I Afford With $50,000 a Year? The answer depends on where you live. For the top 30 most populated cities in the U.S., you need between $20K and $35K a year to cover basic expenses, including food, medical costs, housing, transportation, taxes, and other expenses.

    What is $50,000 a year every 2 weeks? ›

    $1,923.08

    Where can I live on 50k a year? ›

    Best Places To Live On a $50,000 Salary in Every State
    • Grand Junction, Colorado.
    • Dover, Delaware. ...
    • Baltimore. ...
    • Sanford, Maine. ...
    • Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Median income: $46,938. ...
    • New Britain, Connecticut. Median income: $45,258. ...
    • Fairbanks, Alaska. Median income: $61,665. ...
    • Burlington, Vermont. Median income: $50,324. ...
    Oct 9, 2020

    Is 50k a year poverty? ›

    According to Covered California income guidelines and salary restrictions, if an individual makes less than $47,520 per year or if a family of four earns wages less than $97,200 per year, then they qualify for government assistance based on their income.

    Is 50k middle class? ›

    By the Census data, it means that if you earn between $50,000 and $150,000 a year, you are considered middle class. It's a pretty straightforward answer, but it isn't particularly helpful if you're trying to climb up out of a lower income bracket into the middle class.

    Is 50k enough to live in LA? ›

    The average salary needed to live comfortably across all of the major metro areas is $57,013, according to SmartAsset.

    Can you live in NYC on 50k a year? ›

    Q: Can you live in NYC with 50k? A: Living in NYC on an annual income of $50,000 won't be easy, but it is possible, and it will definitely require some clever budgeting. Let's break it down without going into too much detail.

    What can I afford with a 50k salary? ›

    What you can afford: With a $50k annual salary, you're earning $4,167 per month before tax. So, according to the 28/36 rule, you should spend no more than $1,167 on your mortgage payment per month, which is 28% of your monthly pre-tax income.

    How much is $30 an hour annually? ›

    $30 an hour is how much a year? If you make $30 an hour, your yearly salary would be $62,400.

    What is $300 a week annually? ›

    Annual / Monthly / Weekly / Hourly Converter

    If you make $300 per week, your Yearly salary would be $15,587. This result is obtained by multiplying your base salary by the amount of hours, week, and months you work in a year, assuming you work 40 hours a week.

    How much is 50k hourly? ›

    If you make $50,000 a year, your hourly salary would be $24.04.

    What can you afford on a 50k salary? ›

    The rule of 2.5 times your income stipulates that you shouldn't purchase a house that costs more than two and a half times your annual income. So, if you have a $50,000 annual salary, you should be able to afford a $125,000 home. Explore what your mortgage payment might be with today's rates.

    Is 50k considered rich? ›

    Is Earning $50,000 Considered Rich? Not at all. The median household income in 2023 is about $76,000.

    Can a couple live on $50,000 a year? ›

    That breaks down to monthly spending of just under $4,100 per month. The largest monthly expense was housing, followed by transportation and food. If you're planning to live frugally in retirement, spending under $50,000 a year may sound achievable, but it's not a realistic target for every couple.

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