What it costs to live in the most expensive US cities
"The Property Man" host Bob Massi the Las Vegas housing market.
The average household income in the U.S. is just over $55,300, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but individuals living in certain zip codes will require a lot more cash to get by.
Personal finance website GOBankingRates put together a list of the most expensive cities in each state and what it would cost to live comfortably in each – based on the average mortgage rate and the price of essentials such as groceries, transportation and health care.
The most expensive zip code on the list was Sagaponack, New York, which is located on eastern Long Island. The median home price in Sagaponack is more than $7 million, according to GOBankingRates, and the estimated salary requirement to live in the ritzy area is $853,738.
In California, the well-known area of Beverly Hills, featuring the famous 90210 zip code, boasted the state’s highest cost of living requirement. According to estimates from GOBankingRates, individuals would need to make $692,388 in order to live there comfortably. California is home to some of the highest home prices in the country; the median in Beverly Hills exceeds $5.5 million.
In Alpine, New Jersey, it is estimated that it takes a total income of $499,244 to get by. Alpine has the third-most expensive utility costs and third-highest median home price in the U.S., according to the study.
Following New Jersey, Fisher Island, Florida, has the next-highest cost of living. Fisher Island is part of Miami, where it costs about $452,630 to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. For current residents, however, that might not be a problem. As of 2015, residents had an average annual salary of $668,900, and the area is considered America’s most millionaire-dense zip code.
To live in Aspen, Colorado, residents should expect to earn about $380,590 in total income, according to GOBankingRates. The median home price is nearly $3 million.
In other states, the cost of living, even in the most expensive cities, is much lower. In Little Rock, Arkansas, for example, the estimated total income needed is $86,548. In Bismark, North Dakota, residents need a salary of about $84,332.