What salary is needed to "live comfortably" in Pittsburgh? Here's what a new study says.
As Pittsburghers say they're feeling the pinch of rising prices, a new study tries to pinpoint the salary needed for people to live what's considered a comfortable lifestyle.
The financial website SmartAsset crunched the numbers and compared the salary needed to "live comfortably" in the 100 largest U.S. cities. Here's what the study found.
How much is needed to live comfortably in Pittsburgh?
According to SmartAsset, a single adult living in Pittsburgh needs a salary of $95,472 to live comfortably while a working family of four needs $238,534. Meanwhile, the median household income in Pittsburgh is $66,954, according to the study.
Out of the country's top 100 biggest cities, Pittsburgh requires a comparatively lower salary, ranking 77th.
What counts as living comfortably?
SmartAsset describes living comfortably as following the 50/30/20 budget rule. That means 50% of a budget is spent on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings or debt payments.
The study used data from MIT's Living Wage Calculator to gather the basic cost of living for a single adult and two working adults with two children. The data includes the cost of necessities like housing, food, transportation and taxes. Those costs were then applied to the 50/30/20 budget rule to see what people needed to make.
How Pittsburgh compares to other cities
New York City is the city where residents need the highest salary to live comfortably, according to SmartAsset. A single adult needs a salary of $158,954 and a working family of four needs $337,875. The median household income is $81,228. San Jose, California takes the second spot, and Irvine, California, and Anaheim, California, tie for third.
People need the lowest salary to live comfortably in San Antonio Texas, estimated at $83,242 for a single adult and $192,608 for a working family of four. Meanwhile, the median household income is $66,176. New Orleans, Louisiana, and Memphis, Tennessee, round out the top three cities with the lowest salary needed.
