Quick answer
On a $40K salary, 0 of 75 US cities are affordable (under 30% rent burden), and 83 are unaffordable (over 40%). Cheapest: Oklahoma City at 34% rent. Most expensive: New York at 130%.
Affordability · 2026
What Can I Afford on $40K?
Every US city ranked by rent burden at a $40K salary. Take-home pay uses real federal + state tax rates. Rent % is based on median 1BR in each city; green = under 30% (comfortable), red = over 40% (unaffordable).
Last updated: April 23, 2026
0
Comfortable
<25% rent
0
Affordable
25–29%
15
Stretched
30–39%
83
Unaffordable
40%+
Every City Ranked (best to worst)
| City | Take-home/mo | 1BR rent | Rent % | After essentials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma CityOK | $2,675 | $920 | 34% | $1,280 |
| WichitaKS | $2,643 | $900 | 34% | $1,203 |
| MemphisTN | $2,833 | $980 | 35% | $1,378 |
| Baton RougeLA | $2,692 | $950 | 35% | $1,277 |
| Little RockAR | $2,687 | $1,000 | 37% | $1,157 |
| El PasoTX | $2,833 | $1,050 | 37% | $1,298 |
| IndianapolisIN | $2,732 | $1,050 | 38% | $1,202 |
| MobileAL | $2,667 | $1,000 | 38% | $1,117 |
| DetroitMI | $2,692 | $1,050 | 39% | $1,142 |
| ClevelandOH | $2,700 | $1,050 | 39% | $1,170 |
| TucsonAZ | $2,750 | $1,080 | 39% | $1,175 |
| AlbuquerqueNM | $2,670 | $1,050 | 39% | $1,150 |
| SpokaneWA | $2,833 | $1,100 | 39% | $1,198 |
| FayettevilleAR | $2,687 | $1,050 | 39% | $1,217 |
| PensacolaFL | $2,833 | $1,100 | 39% | $1,208 |
| LouisvilleKY | $2,683 | $1,080 | 40% | $1,128 |
| OmahaNE | $2,639 | $1,050 | 40% | $1,114 |
| RochesterNY | $2,617 | $1,050 | 40% | $1,037 |
| Kansas CityMO | $2,653 | $1,100 | 41% | $1,073 |
| St. LouisMO | $2,668 | $1,100 | 41% | $1,088 |
| CincinnatiOH | $2,700 | $1,100 | 41% | $1,120 |
| LexingtonKY | $2,700 | $1,100 | 41% | $1,070 |
| ProvoUT | $2,672 | $1,100 | 41% | $1,187 |
| Sioux FallsSD | $2,833 | $1,150 | 41% | $1,243 |
| Winston-SalemNC | $2,675 | $1,100 | 41% | $1,130 |
| San AntonioTX | $2,833 | $1,180 | 42% | $1,138 |
| KnoxvilleTN | $2,833 | $1,200 | 42% | $1,118 |
| TallahasseeFL | $2,833 | $1,200 | 42% | $1,078 |
| BuffaloNY | $2,617 | $1,100 | 42% | $982 |
| AnchorageAK | $2,833 | $1,200 | 42% | $928 |
| BirminghamAL | $2,667 | $1,150 | 43% | $967 |
| Des MoinesIA | $2,673 | $1,150 | 43% | $983 |
| ColumbusOH | $2,700 | $1,180 | 44% | $1,040 |
| ChattanoogaTN | $2,833 | $1,250 | 44% | $1,053 |
| Overland ParkKS | $2,643 | $1,150 | 44% | $1,048 |
| HoustonTX | $2,833 | $1,280 | 45% | $1,013 |
| MilwaukeeWI | $2,578 | $1,150 | 45% | $928 |
| Fort WorthTX | $2,833 | $1,280 | 45% | $1,033 |
| JacksonvilleFL | $2,833 | $1,280 | 45% | $1,063 |
| Grand RapidsMI | $2,692 | $1,200 | 45% | $962 |
| Ann ArborMI | $2,692 | $1,250 | 46% | $952 |
| PittsburghPA | $2,731 | $1,280 | 47% | $961 |
| HuntsvilleAL | $2,667 | $1,250 | 47% | $892 |
| Las VegasNV | $2,833 | $1,350 | 48% | $958 |
| New OrleansLA | $2,692 | $1,280 | 48% | $877 |
| GreenvilleSC | $2,620 | $1,250 | 48% | $885 |
| PlanoTX | $2,833 | $1,400 | 49% | $968 |
| PhoenixAZ | $2,750 | $1,380 | 50% | $830 |
| RichmondVA | $2,642 | $1,320 | 50% | $832 |
| DurhamNC | $2,675 | $1,350 | 50% | $870 |
| DallasTX | $2,833 | $1,450 | 51% | $853 |
| RenoNV | $2,833 | $1,450 | 51% | $863 |
| HendersonNV | $2,833 | $1,450 | 51% | $818 |
| BoiseID | $2,640 | $1,380 | 52% | $780 |
| Santa FeNM | $2,670 | $1,400 | 52% | $780 |
| CharlotteNC | $2,683 | $1,420 | 53% | $773 |
| Virginia BeachVA | $2,642 | $1,400 | 53% | $687 |
| TempeAZ | $2,750 | $1,450 | 53% | $760 |
| NashvilleTN | $2,833 | $1,520 | 54% | $798 |
| Salt Lake CityUT | $2,678 | $1,450 | 54% | $728 |
| MadisonWI | $2,578 | $1,380 | 54% | $698 |
| FresnoCA | $2,617 | $1,400 | 54% | $627 |
| Colorado SpringsCO | $2,687 | $1,450 | 54% | $677 |
| RaleighNC | $2,683 | $1,480 | 55% | $708 |
| MinneapolisMN | $2,505 | $1,380 | 55% | $610 |
| SavannahGA | $2,654 | $1,450 | 55% | $644 |
| EugeneOR | $2,550 | $1,400 | 55% | $590 |
| Cape CoralFL | $2,833 | $1,550 | 55% | $678 |
| OrlandoFL | $2,833 | $1,580 | 56% | $748 |
| ScottsdaleAZ | $2,750 | $1,550 | 56% | $685 |
| AustinTX | $2,833 | $1,650 | 58% | $628 |
| AshevilleNC | $2,683 | $1,550 | 58% | $593 |
| HartfordCT | $2,650 | $1,550 | 58% | $525 |
| TampaFL | $2,833 | $1,680 | 59% | $633 |
| BaltimoreMD | $2,642 | $1,550 | 59% | $562 |
| St. PetersburgFL | $2,833 | $1,700 | 60% | $543 |
| ProvidenceRI | $2,683 | $1,650 | 61% | $453 |
| AtlantaGA | $2,650 | $1,650 | 62% | $475 |
| PortlandOR | $2,503 | $1,590 | 64% | $393 |
| DenverCO | $2,687 | $1,740 | 65% | $432 |
| SacramentoCA | $2,390 | $1,580 | 66% | $275 |
| PhiladelphiaPA | $2,731 | $1,800 | 66% | $381 |
| CharlestonSC | $2,620 | $1,750 | 67% | $310 |
| ChicagoIL | $2,668 | $1,850 | 69% | $273 |
| BoulderCO | $2,687 | $1,850 | 69% | $312 |
| SeattleWA | $2,833 | $2,100 | 74% | $173 |
| MiamiFL | $2,833 | $2,200 | 78% | $38 |
| Fort LauderdaleFL | $2,833 | $2,250 | 79% | −$62 |
| Jersey CityNJ | $2,621 | $2,100 | 80% | −$79 |
| HonoluluHI | $2,600 | $2,100 | 81% | −$405 |
| Long BeachCA | $2,523 | $2,050 | 81% | −$92 |
| OaklandCA | $2,523 | $2,200 | 87% | −$262 |
| San DiegoCA | $2,390 | $2,250 | 94% | −$410 |
| Washington, DCDC | $2,550 | $2,400 | 94% | −$440 |
| BostonMA | $2,667 | $2,600 | 98% | −$513 |
| Los AngelesCA | $2,390 | $2,400 | 100% | −$590 |
| San FranciscoCA | $2,390 | $2,800 | 117% | −$995 |
| New YorkNY | $2,470 | $3,200 | 130% | −$1,375 |
Take-home uses effective federal tax + state tax. Essentials = rent + utilities + groceries. Click a city for the full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many US cities are affordable on a $40K salary?
Of 75 major US cities we track, 0 are affordable (rent under 30% of take-home) on $40K. 83 are unaffordable (rent over 40% of take-home). The most affordable: Oklahoma City at 34% rent burden. The least: New York at 130%.
What's take-home pay on $40K by state?
Federal effective tax at $40K is about 15%. State tax varies 0–11%. In no-tax states (TX, FL, TN, WA, NV, AK), take-home is $2,833/month. In California (~9.3% effective), it drops to $2,523/month — a $310/month difference.
Is $40K a good salary to live on in 2026?
Depends entirely on city. In Oklahoma City or similar cheap metros, $40K is comfortable with room to save. In SF, NYC, or coastal California, $40K often means roommates or sub-urban rent. The table below ranks all 75 cities from most comfortable to most stretched at this salary.