The City in Every State Where Your Paycheck Stretches the Furthest
It’s not unusual, particularly in today’s financial climate, for paychecks to come and quickly go towards paying monthly bills and covering other expenses. You might find yourself wondering if you’re just not living in a city where your paycheck can go the distance. Are there any cities where a paycheck can feasibly stretch anymore? The answer is yes — and even better, there’s one city in every state where money goes far.
To find out which U.S. cities your paycheck can stretch in, GOBankingRates sourced all the U.S. cities with a population of 30,000 or more people. For each city, GOBankingRates found several factors, including their median household income, total population, total households and cost of living indexes, and using a national average expenditure cost, calculated the average cost of living for each expenditure for each city. The total annual taxes paid and total annual expenditure costs were combined with the annual total amount removed from a salary calculated.
In alphabetical order, here’s the city in each U.S. state where your paycheck stretches the furthest.
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Madison, Alabama
Total taxes paid: $33,181
Annual cost of living: $50,535
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $83,716
Median income: $118,132
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $34,416
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Anchorage, Alaska
Total taxes paid: $20,645
Annual cost of living: $57,431
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $78,076
Median income: $95,731
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $17,655
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Sahuarita, Arizona
Total taxes paid: $23,143
Annual cost of living: $48,845
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $71,987
Median income: $97,133
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $25,146
Sherwood, Arkansas
Total taxes paid: $17,871
Annual cost of living: $37,253
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $55,123
Median income: $74,917
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $19,794
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El Dorado Hills, California
Total taxes paid: $50,279
Annual cost of living: $91,353
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $141,632
Median income: $156,126
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $14,494
Erie, Colorado
Total taxes paid: $45,167
Annual cost of living: $74,823
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $119,991
Median income: $154,509
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $34,518
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West Hartford, Connecticut
Total taxes paid: $35,868
Annual cost of living: $60,001
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $95,870
Median income: $124,150
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $28,280
Newark, Delaware
Total taxes paid: $15,585
Annual cost of living: $50,394
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $65,979
Median income: $67,738
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $1,759
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Washington, DC
Total taxes paid: $28,290
Annual cost of living: $80,722
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $109,013
Median income: $101,722
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: -$7,291
Parkland, Florida
Total taxes paid: $49,750
Annual cost of living: $103,784
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $153,534
Median income: $188,544
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $35,010
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Evans, Georgia
Total taxes paid: $36,465
Annual cost of living: $50,976
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $87,440
Median income: $125,325
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $37,885
Hilo, Hawaii
Total taxes paid: $19,981
Annual cost of living: $67,363
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $87,344
Median income: $75,589
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: -$11,755
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Meridian, Idaho
Total taxes paid: $24,531
Annual cost of living: $58,817
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $83,347
Median income: $93,296
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $9,949
Plainfield, Illinois
Total taxes paid: $42,437
Annual cost of living: $50,213
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $92,650
Median income: $143,064
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $50,414
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Zionsville, Indiana
Total taxes paid: $43,246
Annual cost of living: $64,988
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $108,234
Median income: $152,788
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $44,554
Urbandale, Iowa
Total taxes paid: $31,688
Annual cost of living: $48,579
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $80,267
Median income: $111,888
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $31,621
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Leawood, Kansas
Total taxes paid: $54,699
Annual cost of living: $75,315
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $130,014
Median income: $174,779
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $44,765
Georgetown, Kentucky
Total taxes paid: $17,588
Annual cost of living: $43,628
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $61,216
Median income: $74,530
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $13,314
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Prairieville, Louisiana
Total taxes paid: $29,677
Annual cost of living: $46,559
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $76,235
Median income: $111,927
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $35,692
Lewiston, Maine
Total taxes paid: $11,290
Annual cost of living: $42,668
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $53,958
Median income: $54,317
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $359
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Olney, Maryland
Total taxes paid: $50,824
Annual cost of living: $72,482
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $123,306
Median income: $166,541
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $43,235
Westfield, Massachusetts
Total taxes paid: $19,394
Annual cost of living: $47,566
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $66,960
Median income: $78,307
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $11,347
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Troy, Michigan
Total taxes paid: $31,590
Annual cost of living: $54,060
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $85,650
Median income: $115,639
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $29,989
Maple Grove, Minnesota
Total taxes paid: $37,683
Annual cost of living: $54,435
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $92,118
Median income: $127,001
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $34,883
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Olive Branch, Mississippi
Total taxes paid: $24,134
Annual cost of living: $45,116
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $69,250
Median income: $93,762
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $24,512
Wildwood, Missouri
Total taxes paid: $43,209
Annual cost of living: $60,717
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $103,926
Median income: $147,508
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $43,582
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Billings, Montana
Total taxes paid: $16,598
Annual cost of living: $50,875
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $67,473
Median income: $69,692
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $2,219
Bellevue, Nebraska
Total taxes paid: $19,756
Annual cost of living: $46,552
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $66,308
Median income: $79,839
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $13,531
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Henderson, Nevada
Total taxes paid: $17,756
Annual cost of living: $58,697
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $76,253
Median income: $85,311
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $9,058
Dover, New Hampshire
Total taxes paid: $19,196
Annual cost of living: $60,453
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $79,649
Median income: $90,844
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $11,915
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Westfield, New Jersey
Total taxes paid: $65,803
Annual cost of living: $104,973
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $170,776
Median income: $203,235
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $32,459
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Total taxes paid: $17,978
Annual cost of living: $34,981
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $52,959
Median income: $77,209
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $24,250
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Commack, New York
Total taxes paid: $52,582
Annual cost of living: $78,249
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $130,831
Median income: $168,804
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $37,973
Holly Springs, North Carolina
Total taxes paid: $35,973
Annual cost of living: $63,082
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $99,055
Median income: $127,755
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $28,700
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West Fargo, North Dakota
Total taxes paid: $22,302
Annual cost of living: $46,391
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $68,693
Median income: $96,929
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $28,236
Dublin, Ohio
Total taxes paid: $44,810
Annual cost of living: $64,944
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $109,754
Median income: $158,363
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $48,609
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Edmond, Oklahoma
Total taxes paid: $24,928
Annual cost of living: $48,060
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $72,988
Median income: $96,389
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $23,401
Hillsboro, Oregon
Total taxes paid: $29,722
Annual cost of living: $63,476
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $93,197
Median income: $98,891
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $5,694
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Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
Total taxes paid: $25,693
Annual cost of living: $44,646
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $70,339
Median income: $102,177
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $31,838
Warwick, Rhode Island
Total taxes paid: $18,971
Annual cost of living: $50,581
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $69,552
Median income: $81,009
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $11,458
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Goose Creek, South Carolina
Total taxes paid: $21,984
Annual cost of living: $44,732
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $66,716
Median income: $84,041
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $17,325
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Total taxes paid: $13,545
Annual cost of living: $45,809
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $59,353
Median income: $71,785
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $12,432
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Germantown, Tennessee
Total taxes paid: $34,522
Annual cost of living: $57,116
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $91,638
Median income: $140,429
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $48,791
Southlake, Texas
Total taxes paid: $73,672
Annual cost of living: $109,269
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $182,941
Median income: $250,000
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $67,059
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Syracuse, Utah
Total taxes paid: $35,880
Annual cost of living: $61,947
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $97,827
Median income: $125,602
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $27,775
Burlington, Vermont
Total taxes paid: $13,999
Annual cost of living: $67,491
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $81,490
Median income: $64,931
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: -$16,559
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Burke, Virginia
Total taxes paid: $53,848
Annual cost of living: $76,387
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $130,235
Median income: $172,432
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $42,197
Sammamish, Washington
Total taxes paid: $59,666
Annual cost of living: $133,906
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $193,572
Median income: $215,047
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $21,475
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Charleston, West Virginia
Total taxes paid: $12,434
Annual cost of living: $35,557
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $47,991
Median income: $58,902
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $10,911
Brookfield, Wisconsin
Total taxes paid: $34,086
Annual cost of living: $56,697
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $90,783
Median income: $121,837
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $31,054
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Gillette, Wyoming
Total taxes paid: $19,069
Annual cost of living: $48,105
Total cost (taxes & CoL): $67,174
Median income: $90,415
Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $23,241
Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only. In many cases, the closest major city outside of the city/county mentioned in the article was used.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities across the country to find the city in each state where your paycheck goes the furthest. GOBankingRates started by finding [1] all the cities in the United States with a population of 30,000 people or more as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. For each city the [2] median household income, [3] total population and [4] total households were also sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. For each city on the list, the cost of living indexes was sourced for multiple expenditures, including: [5] Grocery cost of living index, [6] Healthcare cost of living index, [7] Utilities cost of living index, [8] Transportation cost of living index and [9] Miscellaneous cost of living index, all sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces. For each cost of living index, the respective [10] national average expenditure cost, sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, was used to calculate the average cost of living for each expenditure for each city. Using the median household income, the federal tax income brackets, state income tax brackets and FICA tax, as sourced from Tax Foundation’s 2023 Tax Brackets, and using in-house calculators, the taxes paid can be calculated. By combining the total annual taxes paid and the total annual expenditure costs, an annual total amount that is removed from a salary can be calculated. The city in each state where your leftover savings is the highest was kept for this study to show the city in every state where your paycheck stretches the furthest. The total taxes paid, total cost of living cost, median household income, and income leftover savings were kept for a final rank. All data was collected and is up to date as of March 8, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The City in Every State Where Your Paycheck Stretches the Furthest
