How Far $100K Goes In California's 8 Largest Cities

Six-figure salaries certainly sound nice to a lot of Americans. After all, the median income for the American worker in 2019 is about $47,000 a year. But a new report shows that a yearly $100,000 income goes a lot further in some cities than others. And in one city — which happens to be in California — it’s not even enough to pay the bills.

The folks at the personal finance site GoBankingRates.com looked at where a $100K income would be considered “good” in America’s 50 largest cities. Eight of the cities are in California, and it likely comes as no shock to those who live in the Golden State that $100,000 doesn't go too far.

The authors included Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose in their rankings.

The most affordable city on the list? Fresno. That's because on a $100,000 salary there, a person will, on average, have about $30,000 for extra expenses. The least? San Francisco.

"San Francisco is the only city on the list in which residents cannot cover everyday expenses on a $100,000 salary," GoBankingRates.com said. "You’ll need to earn about $104,000 in San Francisco just to get by, since a $100K salary after taxes drops take-home pay to just over $72,000."

Here's a breakdown of the California cities included in the report:

Fresno

• Federal income taxes: $17,262.50
• Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44
• Annual rent: $16,308
• Annual groceries: $2,868
• Annual utilities: $1,861.32
• Annual driving costs: $14,047
• Annual healthcare: $7,203
• Income leftover: $30,018

Long Beach, California

• Federal income taxes: $17,262.50
• Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44
• Annual rent: $31,776
• Annual groceries: $3,916
• Annual utilities: $1,760.04
• Annual driving costs: $11,987
• Annual healthcare: $7,203
• Income leftover: $15,663

Los Angeles

• Federal income taxes: $17,262.50
• Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44
• Annual rent: $36,996
• Annual groceries: $4,122
• Annual utilities: $1,765.20
• Annual driving costs: $12,530
• Annual healthcare: $7,203
• Income leftover: $9,689

Oakland, California

• Federal income taxes: $17,262.50
• Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44
• Annual rent: $38,028
• Annual groceries: $4,909
• Annual utilities: $1,576.44
• Annual driving costs: $12,141
• Annual healthcare: $7,203
• Income leftover: $8,448

Sacramento, California

• Federal income taxes: $17,262.50
• Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44
• Annual rent: $20,736.00
• Annual groceries: $4,357.00
• Annual utilities: $2,375.16
• Annual driving costs: $13,352.00
• Annual healthcare: $7,203.00
• Income leftover: $24,282.00

San Diego

• Federal income taxes: $17,262.50
• Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44
• Annual rent: $32,700
• Annual groceries: $3,798
• Annual utilities: $1,600.56
• Annual driving costs: $13,927
• Annual healthcare: $7,203
• Income leftover: $13,077

San Francisco

• Federal income taxes: $17,262.50
• Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44
• Annual rent: $52,200.00
• Annual groceries: $5,361.00
• Annual utilities: $1,418.76
• Annual driving costs: $8,856.00
• Annual healthcare: $7,203.00
• Income leftover: -$2,734.00

San Jose, California

• Federal income taxes: $17,262.50
• Net pay after income taxes: $72,305.44
• Annual rent: $41,676
• Annual groceries: $4,248
• Annual utilities: $1,475.64
• Annual driving costs: $15,903
• Annual healthcare: $7,203
• Income leftover: $1,800

Nationwide, six-figure earners looking to get the most bang for their buck ought to consider heading to Memphis, Tennessee. The so-called “birthplace of rock ‘n roll” was dubbed the best large city in America for affordability when it comes to a $100K earner. These people see nearly half of their income — $46,093 — left over at the end of the year after accounting for major annual costs.

“Extremely low rent and the lack of state income tax help kick Memphis to the top spot,” the report said.

Here are the top five best cities for $100,000-a-year earners.

1. Memphis, TN
2. El Paso, TX
3. Detroit, MI
4. Cleveland, OH
5. Tulsa, OK

The cities where leftover income was highest was largely due to a lack of a state income tax, the report said.

Click here to read more about the methodology.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.