An annual income of $250,000 won’t put you in the top 1% of earners, but it will get you close to it. That’s because only 7% of households in the United States earn $250,000 per year1. How far that income truly goes in a given city largely depends on the tax environment and cost of living of the area. For example, a $250,000 salary in uber-expensive cities like New York and San Francisco is worth less than $83,000 after accounting for taxes and the cost of living.
In New York City and San Francisco, $250K is worth just short of $83,000 after factoring in taxes and cost of living. NYC, Honolulu and San Francisco offer the lowest real value of a high income salary.
Portland, Oregon is least favorable to high income earners. Portland has the highest increase of taxes from a $100,000 salary to a $250,000 salary. Between these salary levels, the effective tax rate jumps to 41%.
Where $250k Goes the Furthest
| 1 | Memphis, TN | $203,664 |
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| 2 | El Paso, TX | $200,180 |
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| 3 | Oklahoma City, OK | $197,381 |
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| 4 | Corpus Christi, TX | $196,594 |
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| 5 | Lubbock, TX | $196,374 |
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| 6 | Houston, TX | $191,240 |
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| 7 | San Antonio, TX (Tie) | $188,772 |
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| 7 | Fort Worth, TX (Tie) | $188,772 |
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| 7 | Arlington, TX (Tie) | $188,772 |
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| 10 | Jacksonville, FL | $186,170 |
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| 11 | Tulsa, OK | $185,770 |
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| 12 | St. Louis, MO | $185,200 |
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| 13 | Fort Wayne, IN | $183,666 |
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| 14 | Nashville, TN | $183,255 |
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| 15 | Columbus, OH | $180,306 |
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| 16 | Wichita, KS | $176,957 |
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| 17 | Albuquerque, NM | $176,480 |
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| 18 | Las Vegas, NV | $176,440 |
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| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $174,904 |
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| 20 | Lincoln, NE | $174,356 |
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| 21 | Tampa, FL | $173,992 |
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| 22 | Austin, TX | $173,820 |
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| 23 | Omaha, NE | $173,224 |
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| 24 | Cleveland, OH | $171,473 |
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| 25 | Lexington, KY | $171,345 |
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| 26 | Winston-Salem, NC | $170,671 |
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| 27 | Cincinnati, OH | $170,607 |
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| 28 | Dallas, TX | $170,445 |
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| 29 | Charlotte, NC | $170,139 |
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| 30 | Richmond, VA | $169,763 |
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| 31 | Spokane, WA | $169,621 |
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| 32 | Kansas City, MO | $169,604 |
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| 33 | Buffalo, NY | $169,165 |
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| 34 | Raleigh, NC | $168,911 |
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| 35 | Reno, NV | $168,320 |
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| 36 | Orlando, FL | $165,309 |
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| 37 | St. Paul, MN | $165,094 |
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| 38 | Louisville, KY | $164,232 |
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| 39 | Atlanta, GA | $163,952 |
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| 40 | Pittsburgh, PA $163,237 |
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| 41 | Durham, NC | $163,191 |
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| 42 | Milwaukee, WI | $162,476 |
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| 43 | Minneapolis, MN | $162,362 |
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| 44 | Tucson, AZ | $162,159 |
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| 45 | Phoenix, AZ (Tie) | $159,554 |
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| 45 | Mesa, AZ (Tie) | $159,554 |
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| 45 | Chandler, AZ (Tie) | $159,554 |
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| 48 | Madison, WI | $157,901 |
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| 49 | Colorado Springs, CO | $154,971 |
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| 50 | Boise, ID | $154,199 |
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| 51 | Philadelphia, PA | $153,160 |
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| 52 | Detroit, MI | $153,140 |
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| 53 | New Orleans, LA | $148,528 |
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| 54 | Aurora, CO | $148,121 |
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| 55 | Denver, CO | $148,080 |
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| 56 | Bakersfield, CA | $144,718 |
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| 57 | Miami, FL | $142,963 |
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| 58 | Plano, TX | $139,998 |
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| 59 | Anchorage, AK | $139,508 |
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| 60 | Chicago, IL | $139,452
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| 61 | Baltimore, MD | $135,798 |
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| 62 | Newark, NJ | $131,584 |
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| 63 | Sacramento, CA | $131,350 |
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| 64 | Stockton, CA | $127,461 |
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| 65 | Portland, OR | $120,542 |
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| 66 | Arlington, VA | $116,430 |
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| 67 | Seattle, WA | $115,347 |
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| 68 | Boston, MA | $108,991 |
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| 69 | Oakland, CA | $105,223 |
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| 70 | San Diego, CA | $105,151 |
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| 71 | Washington, DC | $101,865 |
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| 72 | Los Angeles, CA (Tie) | $101,635 |
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| 72 | Long Beach, CA (Tie) | $101,635 |
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| 74 | San Francisco, CA | $82,776 |
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| 75 | Honolulu, HI | $82,672 |
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| 76 | New York, NY | $82,421 |
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