A single adult earning $75,000 keeps $24,665 a year in Austin after 2026 taxes, rent and everyday costs, and only $1,403 in New York City. The $23,262 gap comes from three places: rent ($14,388 a year more in New York for a one-bedroom), taxes ($6,280 more, from state, city and payroll taxes) and higher prices for food and other goods.
Annual budget in 8 metros
Single adult, $75,000, renting a one-bedroom at HUD Fiscal Year 2027 Fair Market Rent (HUD’s 40th-percentile gross rent, utilities included), one car at 12,000 miles a year, USDA Moderate-Cost food plan (August 2026), and $500 a month each of other goods and services at US prices — an adjustable estimate scaled by BEA’s 2024 price levels.
| Metro | 1-BR rent / month | Total 2026 taxes | Food | Total costs | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $1,530 | $13,408 | $4,956 | $36,927 | $24,665 |
| Nashville, TN | $1,650 | $13,408 | $5,088 | $38,951 | $22,641 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,493 | $14,889 | $5,023 | $37,657 | $22,455 |
| Denver, CO | $1,831 | $16,398 | $5,337 | $41,438 | $17,164 |
| Seattle, WA | $2,180 | $14,448 | $5,496 | $47,314 | $13,238 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $2,402 | $17,048 | $5,636 | $50,572 | $7,380 |
| New York, NY-NJ | $2,729 | $19,688 | $5,829 | $53,910 | $1,403 |
| San Francisco, CA | $3,003 | $17,048 | $5,734 | $58,111 | −$158 |
Sources: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents (91 FR 56156); USDA food plans, August 2026; BEA RPP 2024; EIA weekly gasoline prices; 2026 taxes from the MoveMath engine. “Total costs” covers rent, food, gasoline, other spending and state sales tax.
Texas, Tennessee and Washington do not tax wages; Seattle’s $14,448 includes $1,040 of Washington paid-leave and long-term-care premiums. Arizona’s flat 2.5% tax costs $1,481, Colorado’s flat 4.4% $2,592, and California $2,665 plus $975 of disability insurance. Denver’s total also includes $330 of Colorado’s paid family and medical leave premium and the city’s $5.75-a-month occupational privilege tax.
The three levers: rent, taxes and prices
Rent is the biggest line. New York’s one-bedroom Fair Market Rent ($2,729) is $14,388 a year above Austin’s ($1,530). Fair Market Rent is a 40th-percentile figure: it is set so that 40% of standard-quality units rented by recent movers cost less.
Taxes come second. New York’s $19,688 is $6,280 above Austin’s $13,408 at the same pay: $3,453 of state income tax, $2,472 of city income tax and $355 of disability and paid-family-leave premiums.
Prices come third. USDA’s Moderate-Cost plan is $440.52 a month for one adult at US-average prices. MoveMath multiplies it by the metro’s BEA goods price level, so it is $413 a month in Austin (93.8) and $486 in New York (110.3).
Monthly take-home and rent share
| Metro | Take-home pay / month | 1-BR rent as share of take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $5,133 | 29.8% |
| Phoenix, AZ | $5,009 | 29.8% |
| Nashville, TN | $5,133 | 32.1% |
| Denver, CO | $4,883 | 37.5% |
| Seattle, WA | $5,046 | 43.2% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $4,829 | 49.7% |
| New York, NY-NJ | $4,609 | 59.2% |
| San Francisco, CA | $4,829 | 62.2% |
HUD’s cost-burden line is 30% of gross income — $1,875 a month at $75,000. Rent at Fair Market Rent is above that line in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, and takes more than half of take-home pay in the last two.
The salary you need in each city
The salary at which a single renter breaks even, and the salary that leaves $1,500 a month ($18,000 a year) after 2026 taxes and the modeled costs:
| Metro | Break-even pay | Pay to keep $1,500 a month |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $43,245 | $65,647 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $45,065 | $68,435 |
| Nashville, TN | $45,764 | $68,403 |
| Denver, CO | $51,145 | $76,278 |
| Seattle, WA | $57,158 | $81,905 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $63,471 | $92,642 |
| New York, NY-NJ | $72,687 | $102,433 |
| San Francisco, CA | $75,260 | $105,259 |
Phoenix and Nashville swap places between the two columns because Arizona’s income tax grows with pay. Health insurance, car payments, phone and internet, debt payments and savings goals are not in the model; add known monthly amounts in “Fixed costs / month” in the relocation budget planner, or rank all 387 metros for your income with where can I afford to live.
Full budgets for three household types are on each metro page, including Austin, New York and San Francisco.