US city rankings.
Compare 58 US metros on work and daily life: household incomes, unemployment, gross rent, commutes, remote work, climate, and home prices relative to income.
Metros are Census metropolitan statistical areas, not city limits. ACS 2024 one-year figures are annual survey estimates with margins of error, not live salaries, asking rents or monthly job reports.
Where are household incomes highest?
Ranked by household income, ACS 2024. Rank 1 is the highest value.
Median annual household income, before tax. This includes all household income sources; it is not an individual salary. Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2024 one-year estimates (via Census Reporter).
| # | Metro area | Monthly gross rent | Period | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San JoseCA | $2,827 | $164,801 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 2 | San FranciscoCA | $2,435 | $135,590 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 3 | WashingtonDC-VA-MD-WV | $2,037 | $126,244 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 4 | BostonMA-NH | $2,093 | $117,825 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 5 | SeattleWA | $2,050 | $112,388 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 6 | San DiegoCA | $2,336 | $109,132 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 7 | DenverCO | $1,943 | $108,046 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 8 | HonoluluHI | $2,001 | $105,205 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 9 | RaleighNC | $1,674 | $102,144 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 10 | Salt Lake CityUT | $1,659 | $100,548 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 11 | AustinTX | $1,784 | $99,897 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 12 | New YorkNY-NJ-PA | $1,851 | $99,852 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 13 | PortlandOR-WA | $1,767 | $98,994 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 14 | SacramentoCA | $1,904 | $98,775 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 15 | BaltimoreMD | $1,633 | $98,666 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. PaulMN-WI | $1,444 | $97,928 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 17 | Los AngelesCA | $2,114 | $96,405 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 18 | HartfordCT | $1,458 | $94,419 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 19 | Dallas-Fort WorthTX | $1,718 | $92,733 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 20 | AtlantaGA | $1,770 | $92,344 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 21 | Riverside-San BernardinoCA | $2,006 | $91,013 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 22 | PhiladelphiaPA-NJ-DE-MD | $1,567 | $90,850 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 23 | ChicagoIL-IN-WI | $1,469 | $90,770 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 24 | PhoenixAZ | $1,819 | $90,133 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 25 | NashvilleTN | $1,627 | $88,800 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 26 | CharlotteNC-SC | $1,594 | $85,938 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 27 | OmahaNE-IA | $1,230 | $84,524 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 28 | Kansas CityMO-KS | $1,315 | $83,785 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 29 | RichmondVA | $1,546 | $83,460 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 30 | ColumbusOH | $1,359 | $82,938 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 31 | ProvidenceRI-MA | $1,396 | $82,870 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 32 | Virginia Beach-NorfolkVA-NC | $1,556 | $82,402 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 33 | JacksonvilleFL | $1,625 | $82,053 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 34 | St. LouisMO-IL | $1,154 | $81,679 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 35 | Grand RapidsMI | $1,289 | $81,541 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 36 | CincinnatiOH-KY-IN | $1,203 | $81,489 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 37 | HoustonTX | $1,469 | $81,417 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 38 | OrlandoFL | $1,877 | $81,044 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 39 | MiamiFL | $2,083 | $80,625 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 40 | IndianapolisIN | $1,273 | $80,239 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 41 | Las VegasNV | $1,739 | $80,028 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 42 | Tampa-St. PetersburgFL | $1,776 | $78,275 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 43 | San AntonioTX | $1,422 | $78,112 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 44 | MilwaukeeWI | $1,177 | $77,919 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 45 | PittsburghPA | $1,083 | $77,214 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 46 | RochesterNY | $1,172 | $76,453 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 47 | DetroitMI | $1,248 | $76,403 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 48 | GreenvilleSC | $1,236 | $75,881 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 49 | FresnoCA | $1,513 | $74,983 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 50 | BirminghamAL | $1,262 | $74,954 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 51 | LouisvilleKY-IN | $1,140 | $74,305 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 52 | Oklahoma CityOK | $1,162 | $72,930 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 53 | ClevelandOH | $1,087 | $72,532 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 54 | BuffaloNY | $1,114 | $72,300 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 55 | TucsonAZ | $1,300 | $72,067 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 56 | TulsaOK | $1,115 | $69,658 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 57 | MemphisTN-MS-AR | $1,330 | $68,124 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 58 | New OrleansLA | $1,262 | $62,373 | 2024 | ↗ |
How to read these rankings
Which city is best for me?
Start with the decision you are making. Compare income and employment for work, rent for an ongoing housing bill, and monthly climate for the seasons you prefer. Use the comparison workspace to see what you gain and give up.
Does a high income mean life is cheaper?
No. Household income is not an individual job offer, and rent is only one expense. A personal budget also needs taxes, transport, childcare, healthcare and other costs. We do not label our housing measures a complete cost-of-living score.
Is this the city or its surrounding metro?
These are metro-level comparisons. Your neighborhood can have very different rent, schools, transport and commute times. Metro averages are a starting point for deciding where to look more closely.
Where are safety, schools and things to do?
Those need additional, comparable local sources. They are not included in these rankings yet. We show the specific measures we have rather than filling the gaps with a general “quality of life” score.