Yahoo Finance The Salary Needed To Live Comfortably in America’s 50 Best Small Towns
Many people choose small towns for the sense of community, walkability and safety that they can offer. In a small town, you know your neighbors and the folks you might interact with in your community. While small towns aren’t always cheaper than big cities, they can often offer a lower cost of living… or can they?
Since livability is a key factor for many people to choose to live in a small town, GOBankingRates set out to find out exactly what type of salary it takes to live in some of the highest-rated cities in the U.S. in terms of their livability scores, among other factors.
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GOBankingRates analyzed cities with a population between 1,000 and 50,000 residents, as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Livability scores were sourced from AreaVibes and the cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperlings BestPlaces and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure costs can be calculated for each city.
Also see the richest small town in every state.
Key Findings
On this list, 10 of the cities were in Ohio and eight of those had median household incomes that were enough to afford a comfortable cost of living.
Five of these cities are in Wisconsin and four of those had median household incomes that weren’t enough to afford a comfortable cost of living.
Even in the two cities with the highest median household income, over $200,000 per year, both in Massachusetts, the salary needed to live comfortably was higher.
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Shaker Heights, Ohio
Income needed to live comfortably: $93,221
Shaker Heights, Ohio offers a reasonable median household income of $96,494, enough to fund a comfortable living in this small city.
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West Lafayette, Indiana
Income needed to live comfortably: $94,430
West Lafayette, Indiana takes the cake for having the worst median household income on this list, at just $30,317. This is astonishing, given that the average monthly expenditures come to nearly $4,000.
Champlin, Minnesota
Income needed to live comfortably: $100,050
In Champlin, Minnesota, the difference between the salary needed to live comfortably and the median household income of $113,570 is over $13,000 in residents’ favor.
Rosemont, Minnesota
Income needed to live comfortably: $109,612
Rosemont, Minnesota is even more supportive of a comfortable lifestyle than Champlin, with a buffer of almost $18,000 after expenses are paid toward a comfortable living.
Wood Village, Oregon
Income needed to live comfortably: $114,992
Wood Village, Oregon, may be a small town, with a population of just 4,548, but that doesn’t mean it’s affordable. If you earn a median household income of $67,014, you’ll find yourself at a deficit of almost $48,000 to live comfortably.
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Melrose, Massachusetts
Income needed to live comfortably: $184,269
In Melrose, Massachusetts, home values are high, around $904,473. Unsurprisingly, monthly mortgage payments are, too, at $5,537.
Middleton, Wisconsin
Income needed to live comfortably: $134,873
A salary that looks good on paper, such as Middleton, Wisconsin’s median household income of $87,333 unfortunately doesn’t cut it for a comfortable living here.
Marquette, Michigan
Income needed to live comfortably: $90,016
Mortgage payments in Marquette, Michigan are among the lowest on this list, at $1,776 per month, but when you add that to other monthly expenditures, it’s still $3,751 you need to fork out each month.
Lafayette, Colorado
Income needed to live comfortably: $155,492
In Lafayette, Colorado, if you’re making the median household income of $105,819, which looks good on paper, it’s still about $50,000 shy of the income needed to live comfortably.
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Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Income needed to live comfortably: $119,351
Trying to live comfortably in Sewickley, Pennsylvania on the median household income of $77,454 is difficult, when there’s a nearly $42,000 deficit.
Battle Ground, Washington
Income needed to live comfortably: $137,551
While the house values are high in Battle Ground, Washington, with the average home value at $595,724, that means average mortgage payments are also high — at $3,647 per month.
Essex, Vermont
Income needed to live comfortably: $126,749.56
In Essex, Vermont, people making the median household income of $92,589 or less will struggle to be comfortable. Monthly expenditures average $5,281 per month, as well.
Central Point, Oregon
Income needed to live comfortably: $105,065
In Central Point, Oregon the average home value is $406,922 and the average monthly mortgage payment is just under $2,500.
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Wausau, Wisconsin
Income needed to live comfortably: $74,009
Wausau, Wisconsin is in the bottom ten cities for median household income. Here, even with an income level that’s relatively low to live comfortably compared to most cities on this list, the median household income of $59,259 isn’t enough to get by without a struggle.
Western Springs, Illinois
Income needed to live comfortably: $158,326
Affordability varies widely in Illinois. In the town of Western Springs, which has the third highest median income on this list, of $198,836, you can live comfortably with a buffer of over $40,000 to boot.
Verona, Wisconsin
Income needed to live comfortably: $132,122
Verona, Wisconsin is another midwestern place where you’ll have to tighten your belt if you hope to afford life here. Average monthly expenditures run around $5,500.
Edwardsville, Illinois
Income needed to live comfortably: $90,903
For those making the median income of $87,094, you might have to tighten your belt to live comfortably here, but it’s within reach. Average monthly expenditures overall run around $3,700.
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Wilton Manors, Florida
Income needed to live comfortably: $165,711
Wilton Manors, Florida is not going to be a very affordable place to call home, with a median household income of $81,424, which is less than half of what’s needed to live comfortably here. At least the livability is high, at a score of 91.
Perrysburg, Ohio
Income needed to live comfortably: $91,291
In Perrysburg, Ohio, the median household income of $98,419 is enough for comfortable living and the livability is a high 90. Here your average monthly expenses will fall under $4,000.
Upper Arlington, Colorado
Income needed to live comfortably: $138,428
In Upper Arlington, Ohio, however, the median household income of $144,705 is enough to provide a comfortable living.
Urbandale, Iowa
Income needed to live comfortably: $95,692
Urbandale, Iowa offers a comfortable living of more than $15,000, with a median household income of $111,888.
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Solon, Ohio
Income needed to live comfortably: $105,399
The Ohio town of Solon, population 24,053, can offer a comfortable living for those making the median household income of $128,470.
Monroe, Washington
Income needed to live comfortably: $153,592
In Monroe, Washington, the average home value is $723,086 and the average monthly mortgage payment is $4,426, around two-thirds of the monthly expenditures.
Winchester, Massachusetts
Income needed to live comfortably: $289,445
Massachusetts is notoriously expensive compared to the rest of the U.S. and Winchester is no exception. While the median household income is the highest on this list, at $208,531, it’s still over $80,000 short of a comfortable living.
Milwaukie, Oregon
Income needed to live comfortably: $126,348
Milwaukie, Oregon isn’t as affordable as its midwestern counterpart.
Here, not only will you pay an average of $5,265 per month in expenditures, but the median household income of $78,676 falls vastly short of what’s needed to live comfortably.
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Traverse City, Michigan
Income needed to live comfortably: $106,500
In Traverse City, Michigan, the average monthly expenditures of $4,438 break down with $2,683 for monthly mortgage payments and about $1,754 for the remaining basic expenditures.
Pleasant Edge, Michigan
Income needed to live comfortably: $114,550
Pleasant Ridge, Michigan is true to its name because the median household income leaves a buffer of more than $50,000 above the cost to live comfortably.
Blufton, Ohio
Income needed to live comfortably: $79,035
In the small town of Bluffton, Ohio, population 3,540, the median household income of $74,620 is only about $4,400 less than the income needed to live comfortably.
Farmington, Michigan
Income needed to live comfortably: $95,137
In Farmington, Michigan, average monthly expenditures are nearly $4,000, with more than half of that going to the average mortgage payment of $2,024.
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Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Income needed to live comfortably: $184,549
Like many other cities in Pennsylvania on this list, Bryn Mawr is proving to be a tough place to make ends meet. The median household income is almost half as much as the income needed to live comfortably. With average monthly expenditures of over $7,600, it’s tough.
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Income needed to live comfortably: $96,724
Living in Fort Thomas Kentucky for folks making the median household income of $95,391 comes close to being comfortable by just about $1,300. Total average monthly expenditures are just over $4,000.
Berkeley, Michigan
Income needed to live comfortably: $91,657
Berkeley, Michigan is a decent place for folks to live comfortably, where the median household income is almost $16,000 above what’s needed. The livability is a high 91, as well.
Lexington, Massachusetts
Income needed to live comfortably: $289,170
Even in affluent Massachusetts, where the median household income is over $206,000, there’s still a nearly $82,000 deficit to living comfortably. Total monthly expenditures are an astonishing $12,049 and the average home value is well over $1.6 million.
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Shorewood, Wisconsin
Income needed to live comfortably: $120,005
Residents of Shorewood, Wisconsin are feeling stretched thin. The median household income of $87,161 is not nearly enough to live comfortably and the $5,000 per month in average monthly expenditures is likely tough to meet.
Sherwood, Oregon
Income needed to live comfortably: $148,007
It’s tough to make it in Sherwood, Oregon, where the median household income is at a more than $41,000 deficit with the income needed to live comfortably. Not to mention the total average monthly cost of living is over $6,100.
Jerome, Illinois
Income needed to live comfortably: $66,235
Jerome, Illinois residents struggle to get by, given the more than $14,000 deficit between a comfortable salary and the median household income.
Bellevue, Kentucky
Income needed to live comfortably: $80,931
Residents of Bellevue, Kentucky may find it tougher to make ends meet here, with a deficit of about $14,000 between median household income and what’s needed for a comfortable living. However, the livability score is a high 92.
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Clawson, Michigan
Income needed to live comfortably: $87,914
Those making the median household income of $82,713 in Clawson, Michigan, one of the lower on this list, will still live comfortably with a buffer of about $5,000.
Pompton Lakes, New Jersey
Income needed to live comfortably: $126,136
Anyone earning the median household income of $113,781 or less will struggle to live comfortably in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. The average home value is almost $500,000, as well.
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Income needed to live comfortably: $92,755
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania’s median household income is $104,959, more than $12,000 above what’s needed to live comfortably. The livability score is a high 92, as well.
Bexley, Ohio
Income needed to live comfortably: $123,635
In Bexley, Ohio, the median household income of $138,929 is more than enough to live comfortably, which is amazing, given that total monthly expenditures average more than $5,100.
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Minerva Park, Ohio
Income needed to live comfortably: $94,715
Minerva Park, Ohio may not be the most affordable city, with average monthly expenditures of almost $4,000, but the median household income is more than $30,000 over what’s needed to live comfortably. And the livability score is a high 92.
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Income needed to live comfortably: $121,652
In Ardmore, Pennsylvania, total monthly expenditures are extremely high, at $5,069. The median household income falls short of comfortable by over $3,600. Yet the livability score remains high, at 93.
Pittsford, New York
Income needed to live comfortably: $114,570
In the small town of Pittsford, New York, population 1,644, the livability is high, with a score of 93 and the median household income of $116,250 is enough to live comfortably by almost $2,000.
University Heights, Ohio
Income needed to live comfortably: $80,114
University Heights, Ohio is one of the few cities where the income needed to live comfortably is below $100,000. Fortunately, the median household income is enough to be comfortable, at $91,960, leaving a more than $10,000 buffer.
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Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Income needed to live comfortably: $132,817
In Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, the average home value is $581,797, translating to a not-so-cheap average monthly mortgage of $3,561.
University Park, Maryland
Income needed to live comfortably: $151,292
University Park, Maryland has the fourth-highest median household income of over $191,000. This is good, as the income to live comfortably here is also high.
Grandview Heights, Ohio
Income needed to live comfortably: $125,145
In Grandview Heights, Ohio, which has a population of only 8,258, the income needed to live comfortably may be high, but the livability is also high, with a score of 94.
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Income needed to live comfortably: $125,225
In Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, the median household income of $118,750 isn’t enough to live comfortably. A big chunk of the monthly expenditures goes to the mortgage, which averages $3,103.
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Worthington, Ohio
Income needed to live comfortably: $116,386
In Worthington, Ohio, the total monthly cost of living is $4,849, with $2,917 going to the mortgage alone.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities across the U.S. to find the amount needed to live comfortably in America’s 50 best small towns. For this study, a small town is considered a city with a population between 1,000 and 50,000 residents, as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Using AreaVibes, the 75 highest livability cities with a population within the range were recorded. For each city the cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperlings BestPlaces and using the national average expenditure costs for all residents as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure costs can be calculated for each city. The average single family home value for March 2024 was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index and assuming a 10% downpayment and using the national 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage cost can be found. Adding the average mortgage cost to the average expenditure cost gives the average cost of living for each city. Using the 50/30/20 rule that recommends that needs do not exceed 50% of household income, the total cost of living was doubled to find the household income needed to live comfortably in the best small towns. The livability index was scored and weighted at 2.00, the median household income was scored and weighted at 1.00 and the income needed to live comfortably was scored and weighted at 1.00. All the scores were combined and sorted to show the amount needed to live comfortably in America’s 50 best small towns. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 20, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Salary Needed To Live Comfortably in America’s 50 Best Small Towns
