How Much You Need To Live Comfortably in 50 Major US Cities

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Arlington, Texas

Median income: $63,351
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $83,533.47
Income needed if you're a renter: $73,717.47

Arlington residents are likely struggling a little to get by with a little over $20,000 separating a median earner from what they would need as a homeowner in the city. Homeowners are paying more in annual necessities than renters, as well, by almost $10,000.

Atlanta, Georgia

Austin, Texas

Median income: $75,752
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $132,584.88
Income needed if you're a renter: $79,520.88

If you're not earning six figures, you should reconsider living in the Texas capital based on just how costly it can be. However, if you're dead set on enjoying the city's renowned music scene on a nightly basis -- part of why it's often no stranger to lists of the best places to live in the U.S. -- consider renting. Renters pay a whopping $53,064 less than homeowners here.

Baltimore, Maryland

Median income: $52,164
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $65,839.60
Income needed if you're a renter: $71,911.60

To live in Baltimore, ironically you can more comfortably afford to buy a home than rent one, with income needed for home owning being almost $6,000 less than renting. Annual expenditures are also higher for renters, so maybe Baltimore is the place to make your home owning dreams come true.

Boston, Massachusetts

Median income: $76,298
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $137,849.90
Income needed if you're a renter: $93,401.90

Living in Beantown might require an especially talented bean counter to be sure you can pay all your bills. In Boston you need to make well over $130,000 to live comfortably while owning, and over $93,000 to live comfortably while renting.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Median income: $65,359
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $84,691.76
Income needed if you're a renter: $74,155.76

While needing $84,000 a year to get by is a bit pricey, the healthy $65,359 a year that the median earner in Charlotte is making means residents are likely struggling less than they would elsewhere. Homeowners are about $20,000 short of what they would need, putting them among the cities with the smallest gaps between what most people are earning and what it costs to live there.

Chicago, Illinois

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Columbus, Ohio

Median income: $54,902
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $69,710.87
Income needed if you're a renter: $62,534.87

Ohio's capital is one of the more affordable big cities to live in, with the income needed to live comfortably falling under $70,000 for homeowners. Renters will need to make about $8,500 more than the city's median income to live comfortably, however.

Dallas, Texas

Median income: $54,747
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $84,165.14
Income needed if you're a renter: $70,821.14

The median income below $55,000 a year likely makes the costs of Dallas significantly more difficult to handle than in other cities. Average earners who rent could be particularly squeezed, with their income coming up over $25,000 short.

Denver, Colorado

Median income: $72,661
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $116,797.80
Income needed if you're a renter: $79,501.80

Denver another of the cities where you need to clear six figures to live comfortably if you plan to own a home, and almost $80,000 if you hope to rent. That leaves the median homeowner and renter $44,136 and $6,840 short of what they need each year, respectively.

Detroit, Michigan

Median income: $32,498
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $51,281.71
Income needed if you're a renter: $65,753.71

Detroit is another of the cities on this list where you pay more to rent than to own. Even still, with such a low median income of less than $33,000 per year, that leaves the median homeowner and renter $18,783 and $33,255 short of what they need each year, respectively.

El Paso, Texas

Median income: $48,866
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $61,014.72
Income needed if you're a renter: $62,814.72

While incomes in El Paso are relatively low, the income needed to live comfortably is also among the lowest of the nation's 50 largest cities. With homeowners needing to make less than $61, 000 a year -- and renters under $63,000 -- the gap from a median income to a comfortable one is between $12,000 and $14,000 for both renters and buyers.

Fort Worth, Texas

Median income: $64,567
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $82,288.97
Income needed if you're a renter: $72,712.97

Residents of Fort Worth have a median income that's almost exactly $10,000 a year higher than that of neighboring Dallas. That's especially good news for renters. And it's even better news for homeowners as the cost to live comfortably is about $2,000 a year less in Fort Worth than it is in Dallas despite the higher incomes.

Fresno, California

Median income: $53,368
Income needed if you're a homeowner: $83,086.16
Income needed if you're a renter: $71,902.16

Fresno is one of the cities where the income needed to live comfortably falls under $83,000 a year for owners and under $72,000 for renters. Still, with median incomes falling under $54,000 a year, owners and renters alike are about $30,000 and $19,000 short of what they need to live comfortably.