Is a $200K Salary Actually Good? What You Really Take Home in 30 Major U.S. Cities

Everyone dreams of hitting that six-figure paycheck, and $200,000 sounds like life-changing money. But here’s the hard truth: what you actually get to keep varies wildly depending on where you live. Whether $200k is a truly good salary depends less on the number itself and more on how much federal and state taxes consume it. The difference between cities can be shocking—you could pocket nearly $160,000 in one place and only $131,000 in another, both on the exact same $200,000 gross income.

GOBankingRates analyzed how $200,000 salaries shake out across 30 major American cities using 2023 tax data from the Tax Foundation and household information from the 2021 American Community Survey. The calculations account for different filing statuses—single filers versus married couples filing jointly—revealing why two people earning identical salaries can have vastly different financial realities depending on their zip code.

The Truth About Your $200K Paycheck: How Taxes Reshape Your Income

When you earn $200,000, your actual earnings get carved up by federal taxes, state income taxes, and Social Security contributions. A single filer earning $200,000 faces a combined federal and state tax burden that ranges from roughly 20% to 34% depending on location. That means somewhere between $40,000 and $68,000 disappears before you see it—money that could have gone toward rent, investments, or building wealth.

Married couples filing jointly generally fare better. Because the tax code offers more favorable brackets for joint returns, married couples on the same $200,000 salary typically keep between $142,000 and $159,000. Single earners, meanwhile, keep somewhere in the $131,000 to $149,000 range. That difference—sometimes reaching $25,000 annually—illustrates why marital status and tax filing strategy matter as much as the salary itself.

High-Tax States vs. Tax-Friendly Cities: Where Your $200K Salary Goes Furthest

Geography is destiny when it comes to keeping what you earn. California cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego hit workers hardest, with single filers taking home only $134,430 from a $200,000 salary. That’s a staggering 32.79% tax bite. Oregon presents similar challenges—Portland ranks as the highest-tax location on this list, with single filers paying a whopping $68,280 annually, leaving just $131,720 in actual earnings.

On the flip side, states without income taxes or lower tax burdens reward earners significantly. In Texas cities like Austin, Dallas, and Houston, single filers keep $149,586 of their $200,000 salary. Nevada cities like Las Vegas show the same figure. Tennessee’s Nashville and Florida’s Miami both allow earners to retain $149,586. These low-tax havens represent roughly $15,000 to $18,000 more in annual take-home compared to high-tax states—money that compounds over a career.

The regional divide is clear: the South and Southwest generally impose lighter tax loads, while the Northeast and West Coast extract significantly more. For someone contemplating a job transfer or considering relocation, this geographic arbitrage could mean an extra $8,000 to $15,000 in take-home pay annually without changing employers.

Breaking Down Your Take-Home by Filing Status: Single vs. Married

Single Filers Across Key Cities:

In Albuquerque, a single earner brings home $140,700. Atlanta yields $138,569. New York City, despite its income appeal, leaves single filers with just $138,122 after taxes consume $61,878. The pattern holds: single status triggers higher marginal tax rates, and high-tax states exacerbate this.

Married Couples Filing Jointly:

The marriage tax penalty reverses when filing jointly. Albuquerque married couples keep $159,465—nearly $19,000 more than single filers in the same city. Atlanta married couples see $148,608. Even in expensive New York City, married filers take home $149,675 versus the single filer’s $138,122—an $11,500 difference.

Married couples in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, and Seattle all keep $159,465 from their $200,000 salary. Single filers in those same cities keep $149,586. That consistent $9,879 gap underscores how tax code design favors joint returns.

The $200K Salary Question: Good, Great, or Context-Dependent?

So is $200,000 a good salary? The answer is unambiguously yes—but with geographic caveats. Even after taxes, you’re keeping $131,000 to $159,000 depending on your location and filing status. That’s still solidly upper-middle class in most American contexts.

However, “good” remains relative. In Portland or San Francisco, $131,000 to $135,000 net income faces brutal housing costs and high living expenses. In Austin or Nashville, the same $149,000 to $159,000 stretches significantly further. For a single filer in New York City, the $138,122 take-home demands careful budgeting in Manhattan but goes much further in outer boroughs.

The real insight: $200,000 is undeniably a strong starting point. But understanding what you actually keep—and where your money goes—is essential for making genuine financial progress. Choose your city wisely, consider your filing status, and recognize that earning a $200k salary and keeping a $200k salary are two very different things.

Data Source: Analysis based on 2023 Tax Foundation data and 2021 American Community Survey information, calculated as of March 2023. Figures reflect federal income tax, state income tax, and Social Security contributions for both single and married filing status.