If you plan on growing roots in New York City you may want to consider asking your boss for a raise. That’s because New York City-based financial technology firm SmartAsset released their study of what a $100,000 salary is really worth after taxes, and the results are even worse than they were last year.
A $100,000 salary may sound like a comfortable enough income to be able to, ya know, actually kick your feet up and enjoy some time off here and there, but how far that salary actually takes you largely varies depending on where you live. To figure out just how much it varies, SmartAsset set out to determine the value of $100,000 in 69 of the largest U.S. cities for 2025, after taxes and local cost of living premiums.
And not only is Manhattan’s difference dramatic, it’s the worst of them all.
After accounting for federal taxes and a cost of living–which is 130.6% higher than the national average–a $100K salary in Manhattan amounts to a mere $30,362. That’s less than the value it held last year, and yes, that accounts for inflation. When taking a closer look, the value of $100K dropped the most year-over-year in Queens, from $49,978 to $46,708, a decrease of 6.5%.
Brooklyn lies nestled right in between Manhattan and Queens, where your $100K salary is worth $43,461.
If you were willing to relocate to Upstate NY, in Buffalo, the same six-figure salary is good for about $76,741–that’s even more than last year, when it amounted to $72,840. We know, it would be hard to give up your NYC pizza and bagels, but Buffalo was just determined to be the best place to live in NY for 2025, and it’s currently home to one of the hottest housing markets for 2025, so maybe it’s worth it!
If you really want to get the most bang for your buck, though, you’re going to have to kiss New York goodbye altogether and set your sights on Oklahoma City, OK, where the value of $100,000 is worth $89,989. Or, if you’re looking to relocate overseas, consider this Italian village that’s selling homes for 1 euro, or this Swiss Village that will literally pay you to move there!
On the opposite end of the spectrum, this year’s second and third-place cities where $100K is worth the least are Honolulu, HI ($38,610) and San Francisco, CA ($42,128). Read the full study.