If you’re looking for a place to live, there’s no shortage of choices across the U.S. — but not all are equally “livable.” And while affordability is one factor that makes a place livable, you will still need to reach a certain salary threshold to live comfortably in these areas.
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To find the salary needed in America’s most livable destinations, GOBankingRates analyzed the top 50 cities selected by U.S. News & World Report’s “250 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2025-2026.” These cities were chosen based on their values, desirability, strong job markets and high quality of life.
GOBankingRates found each city’s average rent, average home value, typical mortgage payment, grocery costs, healthcare costs, utilities costs and transportation costs. These data points were used to determine the annual cost of living expenses for homeowners and renters in each city. To determine the salary needed in each place, GOBankingRates followed the 50/30/20 budget rule. The 50 cities were then ranked based on affordability for homeowners.
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Key Findings
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Texas came out on top for affordable, livable cities for homeowners. The top two cities in the ranking — Laredo and McAllen — are located in the Lone Star State.
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The top livable city for renters is Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Renters need to earn $70,898 to live comfortably in this Midwestern location.
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Oklahoma also boasts two cities in the top 10. Moore is ranked No. 3, while Broken Arrow is ranked No. 5.
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All of the cities require an above-average salary to live comfortably. The average salary in the U.S. is about $67,000, but you’ll need to earn over $70,000 to live comfortably in the top city for renters and over $72,000 to live in the top city for homeowners.
Here’s a look at the salary needed to reside in the 10 most livable destinations.
1. Laredo, Texas
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $36,008
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Salary needed for homeowners: $72,015
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $36,888
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Salary needed for renters: $73,776
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Affordability ranking for renters: 4
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2. McAllen, Texas
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $36,287
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Salary needed for homeowners: $72,574
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $38,742
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Salary needed for renters: $77,484
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Affordability ranking for renters: 8
3. Moore, Oklahoma
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $37,347
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Salary needed for homeowners: $74,694
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $41,661
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Salary needed for renters: $83,322
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Affordability ranking for renters: 14
4. Midland, Michigan
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $37,358
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Salary needed for homeowners: $74,715
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $38,567
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Salary needed for renters: $77,133
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Affordability ranking for renters: 7
5. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $41,189
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Salary needed for homeowners: $82,378
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $43,069
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Salary needed for renters: $86,139
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Affordability ranking for renters: 19
6. Springdale, Arkansas
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $42,913
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Salary needed for homeowners: $85,825
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $41,076
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Salary needed for renters: $82,152
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Affordability ranking for renters: 12
7. Saint Peters, Missouri
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $42,945
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Salary needed for homeowners: $85,891
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $42,559
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Salary needed for renters: $85,117
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Affordability ranking for renters: 15
8. Eau Claire, Wisconsin
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $43,087
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Salary needed for homeowners: $86,174
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $35,449
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Salary needed for renters: $70,898
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Affordability ranking for renters: 1
9. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $43,204
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Salary needed for homeowners: $86,409
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $36,328
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Salary needed for renters: $72,657
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Affordability ranking for renters: 3
10. West Des Moines, Iowa
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Annual cost of living expenses for homeowners: $43,985
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Salary needed for homeowners: $87,970
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Annual cost of living expenses for renters: $37,613
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Salary needed for renters: $75,225
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Affordability ranking for renters: 6
Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates first sourced the 50 best places to live from U.S. News & World Report’s “250 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2025-2026.” Once these cities were isolated, GOBankingRates found the following for each city: (1) average 2025 monthly and annual rent, as sourced from Zillow’s April 2025 data; (2) 2025 average home value, as sourced from Zillow’s April 2025 data; (3) monthly and annual mortgage payments, assuming an 18% down payment with a 30-year fixed rate of 6.81% with no PMI, HOA or property taxes, as sourced from Freddie Mac; (4) annual grocery expenses; (5) annual healthcare expenses; (6) annual utilities expenses; and (7) annual transportation expenses. Factors (4) through (7) were calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey data points for “food at home,” “healthcare,” “utilities, fuels and public services,” and “other vehicle expenses” + “gasoline and other fuels,” and then calculating them out based on their corresponding cost of living indices, as sourced from Sperling’s Best Places. The above factors were combined to give (8) annual cost of living expenses for homeowners and (9) annual cost of living Expenses for renters. The 50 cities were then ranked, where the most affordable city was ranked best. GOBankingRates found the salary needed for homeowners and renters by following the 50/30/20 rule for each city. All data was collected and is up to date as of May 21, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: America’s 10 Most Livable Destinations That Don’t Require a Six-Figure Salary
