Real purchasing power by city
After-tax income vs. cost of living · 19 major US cities · Compare annual savings at $150K salary
View comprehensive city rankings — employment data · living costs · climate →Why this matters: A $170K salary in SF can leave you with less savings than a $115K salary in Dallas — after state taxes and cost of living. Nominal salary ≠ real purchasing power.
#CityState taxRent 1BRAnnual savings*Grade
1
SeattleNo taxH Mart
IT · Cloud · E-Commerce
0%
$2,193
$69K
A
2
AustinNo taxH Mart
IT · Semiconductor · EV
0%
$1,636
$67K
A-
3
HoustonNo taxH Mart
Energy · Healthcare · Engineering
0%
$1,333
$58K
B
4
DallasNo taxH Mart
Finance · Telecom · Healthcare
0%
$1,455
$52K
B+
5
Raleigh-Durham
IT · Biotech · Gaming
4.5%
$1,514
$50K
B+
6
Detroit
Automotive · EV · Manufacturing
4.25%
$1,200
$50K
B
7
Washington DCH Mart
Gov IT · Consulting · Cloud
8.95%
$2,161
$48K
B+
8
Phoenix
Semiconductor · Finance · Healthcare
2.5%
$1,565
$48K
B-
9
Charlotte
Finance · Banking · Healthcare
4.5%
$1,514
$48K
B
10
SF / Bay AreaH Mart
Big Tech · AI · Startup
9.3%
$2,977
$45K
A-
11
ChicagoH Mart
Consulting · Finance · Manufacturing
4.95%
$1,539
$45K
B+
12
MiamiNo tax
Finance · Accounting · Real Estate
0%
$2,260
$44K
B
13
BostonH Mart
Biotech · Consulting · Finance
5%
$2,326
$42K
A-
14
AtlantaH Mart
Finance · Logistics · IT
5.49%
$1,642
$42K
B+
15
Denver
IT · Aerospace · Energy
4.4%
$1,833
$42K
B
16
Los AngelesH Mart
Entertainment · Gaming · Tech
9.3%
$2,068
$38K
B+
17
Minneapolis
Medical Devices · Retail · Finance
9.85%
$1,446
$38K
B
18
Portland
Semiconductor · Retail · Manufacturing
9.9%
$1,620
$36K
B-
19
New York CityH Mart
Finance · Consulting · Media
10.9%
$2,453
$35K
B+
* Annual savings estimated at $150K gross salary after federal + state taxes and average living expenses. Actual results vary by lifestyle and household size.