Unaffordable City Living: Most Major Cities Too Expensive to Live In

​The latest GOBankingRates study reveals that only 11 of the 50 biggest U.S. cities have a median income high enough to cover what's needed to live comfortably.
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The 2017 data is even worse news for Americans than last year's study results, which found 15 of the biggest U.S. cities had incomes large enough to support a comfortable living.

The latest GOBankingRates study finds how much money Americans need to make to live comfortably in the 50 biggest U.S. cities.The study used the 50-30-20 budgeting rule when determining the income required for a comfortable living in each city. This rule divides income into three buckets: 50 percent is expected to go toward necessities, 30 percent towards discretionary items and 20 percent towards savings.

To see the full list ordered by population, click here.

Top 5 Cities Where People Struggle to Live Comfortably:

• Miami: $44,840 deficit income
• New York: $33,073 deficit income
• San Francisco: $29,063 deficit income
• Los Angeles: $25,842 deficit income
• Oakland, Calif.: $25,820 deficit income

Top 5 Cities Where People Can Easily Afford to Live Comfortably:

• Virginia Beach, Va.: $13,985 surplus income
• Arlington, Texas: $6,906 surplus income
• Colorado Springs, Colo.: $5,112 surplus income
• Albuquerque, N.M.: $4,585 surplus income
• Austin, Texas: $3,058 surplus income

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Additional Insights:

• Texas is the state that boasts the most cities in which the median income is enough for a comfortable living (Five out of the seven cities on this list)
• All of the nine Californian cities on this list have median incomes below what is needed to live comfortably
• Almost 40% of the biggest U.S. cities face a deficit of $10,000 or more between average income and what is needed to live comfortably
• Kansas City, Mesa and Omaha had surplus income last year, but now have average incomes below what is needed for a comfortable living
• While San Francisco still faces one of the largest deficits in the country, the city's deficit has dropped from $41,192 last year to $33,073 this year

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