Here’s what $100K salary is actually worth in your city in 2025

A $100,000 salary may sound like a comfortable income, but how far it goes can vary largely depending on where you live, a new study shows.

The financial company SmartAsset determined the value of $100,000 in 69 of the largest U.S. cities for 2025, after accounting for applicable taxes and local cost of living premiums. 

"Understanding where $100,000 stretches the furthest – and where it may fall short – can be crucial for budgeting and long-term financial planning," SmartAsset wrote in their study.

100K goes least far in Manhattan, New York

After accounting for federal taxes, particularly high local taxes, and a cost of living 130.6% higher than the national average, a $100k salary goes least far in New York City, SmartAsset found.

By the numbers:

According to the findings, Manhattan, New York only has $30,362 in spending power. 

Even after accounting for inflation, the value of $100k last year was higher at $30,914.

This year’s second- and third-place cities where $100k was worth the least were Honolulu, Hawaii ($38,610) and San Francisco, California ($42,128).

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The value of $100k dropped most year over year in Queens, NY – dropping 6.5% year over year, from $49,978 to $46,708. This can mostly be attributed to an increase in the relative cost of living in Queens. Other cities where the value of $100k dropped most included Durham, North Carolina ($71,371); Phoenix, Arizona ($71,688); Columbus, Ohio ($77,647) and Miami, FL ($64,991).

Where 100K is worth the least

1. Manhattan, New York: $30,362 (Value of 100K in 2025)
2. Honolulu, Hawaii: $38,610
3. San Francisco, California: $42,128
4. Brooklyn, New York: $43,461
5. Queens, New York: $46,708
6. Los Angeles, California: $47,983
7. San Diego, California: $49,337
8. Boston, Massachusetts: $50,602
9. Washington DC: $51,339
10. Oakland, California: $52,060

See the full report here.

100K goes furthest in Oklahoma, these Texas cities

The study found that $100k went the furthest in Texas and Oklahoma cities. 

By the numbers:

Oklahoma City ($89,989), El Paso ($89,114), Corpus Christi ($88,015) and and Tulsa ($87,439) ranked at the top of places where $100k stretched furthest. 

Texas has the advantage of no state or local income taxes, while Oklahoma’s particularly low cost of living is enough to offset the state-imposed income tax.

RELATED: Here’s how far your paycheck goes in America's major cities in 2025

The value of $100k increased by 6.6% year over year in Charlotte, North Carolina, to $81,780. Plano, Texas also saw a 6.4% increase to $71,372, and the value increased 6.3% to $73,358 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Spokane.

Where 100K is worth the most

1. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: $89,989
2. El Paso, Texas: $89,114
3. Corpus Christi, Texas: $88,015
4. Tulsa, Oklahoma: $87,439
5. Memphis, Tennessee: $87,427
6. Lubbock, Texas: $86,846
7. San Antonio, Texas: $86,084
8. Jacksonville, Florida: $84,509
9. Houston, Texas: $83,343
10. St. Louis, Missouri: $83,082

See the full report here.

Where wages stretch the most, least

Dig deeper:

Earlier this year, the company Bankrate looked into data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to determine how far average annual salaries go in the 25 largest U.S. metros.

"Moving from a high-cost area to a lower-cost city – or vice versa – may not always result in the expected increase in purchasing power," the company said on its website. "While workers in expensive cities tend to get paid higher wages on average, their pay effectively declines when adjusted for the area’s cost of living."

Similarly to SmartAsset’s study, Bankrate found that wages stretched furthest in Texas cities (San Antonio, New Braunfels). Wages also stretched further in St. Louis, Charlotte and Detroit.

Meanwhile, wages stretched the least in San Francisco, followed by Los Angeles, Seattle and New York.

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