Best Cities to Live in the U.S.
Best cities are the places where your salary goes furthest after taxes, rent, and typical monthly costs. The ranking changes by income because the same city can feel very different at $50k versus $150k.
Choose a salary tier first, then open the full ranking for that income level.
Select your salary
This is the primary control for best-cities rankings.
What changes as salary increases?
- At lower salaries, rent burden has a stronger effect on rankings.
- At higher salaries, remaining monthly income and tax differences matter more.
- Some cities stay competitive across tiers, while others move up only at higher incomes.