Here’s How Much It Costs For A Family To Live In 20 Major US Cities
It will only cost you about $49,114 a year to raise a family in Morristown, Tennessee, but if you move to Washington, DC, that expense more that doubles, to $106,493.
That’s according to the Economic Policy Institute‘s 2015 Family Budget Calculator, which measures the annual cost of necessities for a family to live a secure yet modest lifestyle by estimating the costs of housing, food, child care, transportation, healthcare, other necessities, and taxes.
The EPI gathered data in 618 metro areas throughout the US for several different family types. Here, we’ve highlighted the cost of living for a four-person family (two adults, two children) in 20 major US cities.
If you’re looking to start a family in an urban area, consider the annual and monthly cost of necessities, and remember, these numbers do not include savings or discretionary spending:
20. Houston, Texas
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Houston City Hall.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $60,608
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,051
19. Cleveland, Ohio
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The Cuyahoga River bends past downtown Cleveland by the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $60,900
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,075
18. Dallas, Texas
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Downtown Dallas.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $61,150
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,096
17. St. Louis, Missouri
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The St. Louis Arch and skyline at the Mississippi River.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $63,100
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,258
16. Atlanta, Georgia
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Hindu Temple of Atlanta.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $63,888
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,324
15. Charlotte, North Carolina
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Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte — home to the Carolina Panthers.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $65,492
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,458
14. Portland, Oregon
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The St. Johns Bridge in Portland.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $67,802
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,650
13. Miami, Florida
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The Bayside Marketplace in Miami.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $68,503
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,709
12. Sacramento, California
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The Golden Gates Drawbridge in Sacramento.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $69,296
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,775
11. Denver, Colorado
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The Colorado State Capitol in Denver.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $71,104
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,925
10. Chicago, Illinois
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Chicago’s Oak Street Beach.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $71,995
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $6,000
9. Seattle, Washington
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Pike Place Market, Seattle’s original farmers market.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $72,274
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $6,023
8. Los Angeles, California
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Downtown LA.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $73,887
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $6,157
7. San Diego, California
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San Diego residents enjoy miles of gorgeous beaches.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $74,425
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $6,202
6. Baltimore, Maryland
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Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $74,427
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $6,202
5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia’s historic Old City is the nation’s oldest residential street, dating to 1702.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $76,393
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $6,366
4. Boston, Massachusetts
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Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $85,793
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $7,149
3. San Francisco, California
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The Golden Gate Bridge.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $91,785
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $7,649
2. New York, New York
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The Hudson River Park Greenway is a popular spot for runners and bikers in NYC.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $98,722
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $8,227
1. Washington, DC
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The United States Capitol.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $106,493
Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $8,874
Via BI | Lead image: Shutterstock
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