Texas and other states in the South have some of the most affordable cities for single adults to live comfortably, according to a March 7 analysis from financial services company SmartAsset.
The analysis, which used Cambridge-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology's living wage calculator to determine the basic cost of living, found that an individual needs $96,500 on average for sustainable comfort in a major American city.
SmartAsset applied cost of living to determine a comfortable salary, using a budget where 50% of income would be spent on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings or debt payments.
Here is a breakdown of the cities with the highest and lowest salaries needed for single adults and two working adults with two kids to live comfortably.
Here are 10 cities with the highest salary needed for a single adult to live comfortably:
1. New York City: $138,570
2. San Jose, Calif.: $136,739
3 (tie). Santa Ana, Calif.: $126,797
3 (tie). Irvine, Calif.: $126,797
5. Boston: $124,966
6 (tie). Chula Vista, Calif.: $122,803
6 (tie). San Diego: $122,803
8. San Francisco: $119,558
9. Seattle: $119,392
10. Oakland, Calif.: $118,768
The 10 cities with the lowest salary needed for a single adult to live comfortably:
1. Houston: $75,088
2. El Paso, Texas: $75,254
3. Lubbock, Texas: $75,379
4. Toledo, Ohio: $77,501
5. Laredo, Texas: $78,458
6. Milwaukee: $79,664
7. Lexington, Ky.: $79,997
8. Tulsa, Okla.: $81,078
9. Wichita, Kan.: $81,203
10. Cleveland: $81,786
The 10 cities with the highest salary needed for two working adults with two kids to live comfortably:
1. San Francisco: $339,123
2. San Jose, Calif.: $334,547
3. Boston: $319,738
4. Arlington, Va.: $318,573
5. New York City: $318,406
6. Oakland, Calif.: $316,243
7. Honolulu: $299,520
8 (tie). Santa Ana, Calif.: $291,450
8 (tie). Irving, Calif.: $291,450
10. Portland, Ore.: $289,786
The 10 cities with the lowest salary needed for two working adults with two kids to live comfortably:
1. Houston: $175,219
2. Laredo, Texas: $179,046
3. El Paso, Texas: $180,461
4. Lubbock, Texas: $181,043
5. Wichita, Kan.: $186,784
6. New Orleans: $191,942
7. Corpus Christi, Texas: $192,275
8. Memphis, Tenn.: $194,106
9. Denver: $194,605
10. Winston-Salem, N.C.: $194,605