That’s what a six-figure income is worth in California

Earning a six-figure income has long been a sign of success and financial comfort for American workers. (unsplash)

Earning a six-figure income has long been a sign of success and financial comfort for American workers. However, with high inflation and the high cost of living, annual income may not be enough to support life in California.

A new study by Smart Asset analyzed after-tax income for $100,000 in 76 of the largest US cities and adjusted those numbers to represent the cost of living in each location. California cities ranked among the places where $100,000 had the highest spending power.

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California cities where six-figure incomes had low purchasing power:

City
Take Home Pay adjusted for inflation and cost of living

Bakersfield
$63,539

Sacramento
$57,669

Stockton
$55,962

Oakland
$46,198

San Diego
$46,167

Los Angeles
$44,623

Long Beach
$44,623

san francisco
$36,445

Researchers used the Smart Asset paycheck calculator to find after-tax income for multiple cities. They used data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to determine the US cost of living included in the study.

While $100,000 may not have much purchasing power in California, the six-figure income in other states goes a long way, largely due to lower taxes and the cost of living than the Golden State.

Here’s where $100,000 has the most purchasing power:

City
Take Home Pay adjusted for inflation and cost of living

Memphis, Tennessee
Between $74,515 and $86,444

El Paso, Texas
Between $74,515 and $84,966

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Between $70,302 and $84,498

Corpus Christi, Texas
$83,443

Lubbock, Texas
Between $74,515 and $83,350

Houston, Texas
Between $74,515 and $81,350

San Antonio, Texas
Between $74,515 and $80,124

Fort Worth, Texas
Between $74,515 and $80,124

Arlington, Texas
Between $74,515 and $80,124

St Louis, Missouri
Between $69,531 and $79,921

While cities in Texas dominated the list of places with the highest spending power for $100,000, Memphis, Tennessee took the top spot.

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