What it's really like living in New York City on a $100,000 salary

Updated

2020-02-27T20:49:00Z

new york city

New York City's sky-high cost of living and high taxes keep a six-figure salary from going as far as it could.
Astrakan Images/Getty
  • New York City has some of the country's highest-paying jobs.
  • Nearly 30% of New Yorkers make six-figure salaries.
  • But a high income doesn't render you impervious to the city's high taxes and infamously high cost of living.
  • From tiny, 260-square-foot apartments to above-average-priced milk, here's what living in New York on a $100,000 salary can really look like.

New York is a relatively high-income state.

Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Source: Data USA

And New York City has higher incomes than other parts of the country.

New York's Wall St.
Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Source: Data USA

Many people flock to the Big Apple for the assortment of high-paying jobs the market has to offer.

Mary Altaffer/AP

Source: CNBC

About 30% of New York households end up making six-figure salaries.

Jeffrey Furticella/AP

Source: Statistical Atlas

Jobs in New York that pay a $100,000 salary include business analyst, stockbroker, and development manager.

Kike Calvo/AP

Source: Indeed

That's compared to the average salary in New York City — $75,000.

Mark Lennihan/AP

Source: PayScale

With $100,000 rolling into your bank account annually, you may think you're ahead of the game, which is relatively true.

Kike Calvo/AP

But in reality, your take-home pay will be closer to $65,000 after income taxes.

Amr Alfiky/Reuters

Source: Go Banking Rates

Then you have to account for New York's infamously high cost of living.

Mark Lennihan/AP

The cost of living there is 129% higher than the national average, according to PayScale.

Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Source: PayScale

A gallon of milk in New York, for example, costs $4.53 on average versus the national average cost of about $3.50.

Amy Sussman/AP Images for ALDI

Source: Investopedia and Studying in the US

When it comes to discretionary spending, it costs an average of $100 a month to have a gym membership in New York ...

Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Source: Business Insider

... a basic dinner for two people at a neighborhood pub costs an average of $57 ...

Dan Kim/Handout/Reuters

Source: Business Insider

... and a men's standard haircut costs $26 on average.

Mike Segar/Reuters

Source: Business Insider

To get around the city, a monthly public-transit ticket is $121, which is the fifth most expensive monthly transit ticket compared with 50 cities globally.

Keith Bedford/Reuters

Source: Business Insider

The city's sales tax rate sits at 4.5%, and combined with the 4% state sales tax, consumers pay a total 8.5% sales tax to shop in New York City.

Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Source: New York City Department of Finance

For reference, the average local sales tax rate across states in the US ranges from .03% to 5.14%, with some states not enforcing one at all.

Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Source: Tax Foundation

Then there's the issue of housing, which is by far the biggest contributor to New York's high cost of living. Housing is a whopping 369% higher than the national average in New York.

Mark Lennihan/AP

Source: PayScale

The city's property taxes are relatively low at 0.9%, compared with the statewide average of 1.68% respectively.

Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Source: Smart Asset and Smart Asset

If you abide by the advice to put no more than 30% of your annual income toward housing costs, that leaves you with $2,500 a month for rent.

Mark Lennihan/AP

Source: Naked Apartments

While that may seem like a lot, this is New York City we're talking about ...

Bebeto Matthews/AP

... where the average rent is $3,475 for an apartment in Manhattan, according to Investopedia.

Bebeto Matthews/AP

Source: Investopedia

In Manhattan, the average rent for a studio apartment is $2,550.

Mark Lennihan/AP

Source: Naked Apartments

If you opt for a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, that'll cost you closer to $3,100 a month in rent.

Mark Lennihan/AP

Source: Naked Apartments

On top of that, New York renters often have to cough up what's called a broker's fee, which usually amounts to about one month's rent of an apartment up front at lease signing.

New York's East Harlem neighborhood.
Seth Wenig/AP

To afford something roomier than a studio apartment, there's a good chance you'll need to find a roommate, like many New Yorkers do.

The actresses Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, who played roommates in the TV show "Friends."
NBC/IMDb

In fact, a 2017 study that analyzed US Census data found that 40% of adult renters in New York City were living with a roommate.

The actors Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc, who played roommates in the TV show "Friends."
NBC/IMDb

Source: New York Curbed

You could also live in one of the surrounding boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, which are still pricey but more affordable than Manhattan.

Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Source: Naked Apartments

The average studio rent in the Bronx is $1,450, while the average rent for a studio in Queens and Brooklyn is $2,175 and $2,350, respectively.

The Bronx borough of New York.
Richard Drew/AP

Source: Naked Apartments

If you're determined to have your own space in Manhattan, you could adopt the tiny-living lifestyle.

Leanna Garfield/Tech Insider

Tiny apartments aren't uncommon in New York City, but the 55 micro-apartments at Carmel Place in lower Manhattan take that concept to a new level.

Leanna Garfield/Tech Insider

Source: Business Insider

The apartments were developed in 2015 as a tiny-living experiment to help aid the city's growing population and resulting lack of affordable housing.

Julie Jacobson/AP

Source: Business Insider

The units range from 260 to 360 square feet. For comparison, the average size of an apartment in Manhattan is 703 square feet.

Julie Jacobson/AP

Source: Business Insider and RENTCafe

Monthly rent there starts at $2,775, so it's a bit over budget.

Leanna Garfield/Tech Insider

Source: Business Insider

But gym access, housekeeping, laundry facilities, grocery delivery, and access to social events are included in that price, as well as up-to-date appliances and furniture, which trims your cost-of-living elsewhere.

Leanna Garfield/Tech Insider

Source: Business Insider

Business Insider's Leanna Garfield spent a night in one in 2015 to see what living in the units is really like.

Leanna Garfield/Tech Insider

Source: Business Insider

She found the room to be beautifully decorated and designed, and said "it'd be easy to live here" if she could afford the monthly rent.

Leanna Garfield/Tech Insider

Source: Business Insider

Overall, the micro-apartments at Carmel Place are newer than what you would normally find in the hunt for an apartment rental, micro or otherwise, in New York City.

Leanna Garfield/Tech Insider

Source: RentHop

... but at least the apartment had full-length windows with sunlight streaming through, which can be a desirable feature in the New York City rental scene.

Chris Buell/YouTube

Source: The New York Times

The average age of a residential building is 90 years old in New York City, so even with a $100,000 salary, there's a good chance you'll be renting an older apartment.

The bathroom in Bernier's East Village apartment.
Jeremy Bernier/YouTube

Source: Rent Hop

This article has been updated since publication.

Katie Canales

Tech Reporter

Katie is an Austin-based tech reporter at Business Insider. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. You can reach her at kcanales@businessinsider.com or follow her on Twitter @KatieCanales1.

Hillary Hoffower

Correspondent, Millennial Wealth

Hillary reports on the intersection of youth culture and wealth, looking at the business, lifestyle, and financial behaviors of millennials. She covers trends in how high-net-worth millennials are living and spending, profiles millennial entrepreneurs, and examines how the economic environment millennials grew up in shaped them and their money habits. She also dives into the luxury landscape. She's investigated the French Riviera's pandemic party problem, explored Israel's luxury real estate market, and looked at how the ultrarich are reeling in flashiness in the name of safety. Here's a sampling of her work: — The world's youngest self-made billionaire hopes to power every future self-driving car with a technology that Elon Musk says is 'doomed' — Tiffany and the Trumps: Insiders describe how the president's younger daughter has charted what they say is a distant relationship with her father and come to terms with having America's most divisive last name — Yachting insiders detail the rampant sexual harassment aboard million-dollar ships, where crew members are promised a glamorous lifestyle and can instead find themselves trapped at sea with no one to turn to — Millennials came limping out of the Great Recession with massive student debt and crippled finances. Here's what the generation is up against if the coronavirus triggers another recession. — Class of 2020: A look at Gen Z as it graduates into chaos — How the American millennial is overcoming debt, the dollar, and the economy they were handed — College is more expensive than it's ever been, and the 5 reasons why suggest it's only going to get worse Hillary joined Business Insider in 2018 reporting on personal finance. Let her know what millennials are doing with their money by reaching her at hhoffower@businessinsider.com. Follow her on Twitter @hillary_tweets.

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