Is $80,000 a year enough to live well in Texas?
What you need to earn can vary a lot from one state to another. The cost of living—how much money you need for things like a house, food, and fun stuff—can be really different depending on where you are.
In Texas, how far does $80,000 get you? Can you have a big house, eat out whenever you want, and go on cool vacations? Let’s see if you will find it tough to cover your bills with this amount.
Is an 80K Salary Good If You Live in Texas?
If you want to live in Texas but you make 80K, you may be wondering if this is a good salary for Texas. The reality is that 80K in Texas is considered to be a very good salary for any kind of Texas resident even in 2024.
80K is considered to be a very livable wage if you live in the state of Texas and have a family. It is estimated that a family of four can comfortably live off of this kind of salary without any additional income or funding.
For a two-person family living off of the salary, you would be able to live very comfortably and have a fairly lavish lifestyle. If it is just you earning 80K by yourself, you could practically live like a king in Texas off of this kind of salary.
No matter where you live, 80K is considered to be a pretty good salary for most people. This puts you in the higher middle-class range of people who are earning no matter where you live in the US.
Many people say that you can’t even live in high-demand cities within Texas such as Houston while making 80K. Even in such expensive cities, 80K still stretches quite far, allowing you to live comfortably, even if you have a family.
Is 80K Considered Middle Class in Texas?
Anyone who makes 80 K a year is considered to be in the middle class no matter where they live in the US. This is because you only go above the middle class if you are making $175,000 a year on average.
The median income for US residents who are living off of different incomes is around 80 K a year. This puts 80K right in the middle of the middle class as it allows you to live very comfortably without dragging the poverty line.
This applies whether you live in Texas or in a different state in the US. Different states are going to have different livable wages, but for the most part, 80K is considered to be middle class no matter where you live.
Just keep in mind that you may do better with 80 K or worse, depending on the state that you live in. States with a very high living cost may make 80 K a year scraping the barrel if you have to support an entire family.
In low-income states, 80K could put you closer to being in the high class as you are able to support yourself in a more substantial way. It also depends on how many people you are supporting and how many income streams you have.
What Percentage of People Make 80K?
Despite the fact that 80K is considered to be the median salary for US residents, that does not mean that everyone makes this amount of money. In fact, making 80K a year is considered to be fairly rare for the average US resident.
This is not the typical salary that most people make if they are working an average white-collar job. Of course, people with a household that is earning multiple streams of income are more likely to hit 80K than a single income stream.
For the most part, 80K is considered to be a desirable wage as it sets you in the middle class no matter where you live. The percentages for the amounts that most people make in the US are as follows:
- 70K: 31.85%
- 75K: 29.22%
- 80K: 26.57%
- 85K: 24.32%
This shows that the majority of Americans do not make 80K a year as this is fairly rare. It is even rarer for people to make over 80K as the percentage of people who are able to do this goes down significantly.
Can You Own a House in Texas If You Make 80K?
You may be wondering if you can own a house in Texas if you make 80K a year. This is a good question as this can affect your living expenses and what you were able to afford off of your salary.
The good news is that Texas residents can comfortably own their own house if they make 80K a year. In fact, this is cheaper than if you were to rent a home as you typically are going to have more affordable monthly fees.
Texas residents who are renting a home typically need to make 85K in order to live comfortably without worrying about their finances. So in reality, it is a better option to own your own house if you can’t afford it.
Is an 80K Salary Good for a Texas Resident?
If you want to live in Texas, an 80K salary is a good place to start, as this puts you in the middle class in Texas. You can live very comfortably on this kind of salary anywhere in Texas, whether you have a family to support or not.
In fact, you can live just about anywhere in the US on 80K and have a very comfortable living. Most people are not able to make 80K, putting their salary in the middle class, allowing you to live very comfortably on this wage.
What Is a Good Salary for a Single Person in Texas?
According to a report from Unbiased, the average PCE in Texas is $45,114.
PCE stands for Personal Consumption Expenditures. It represents the average amount spent annually by individuals in Texas on goods and services for personal use.
This measure is important as it reflects consumer spending habits and the cost of living in Texas, encompassing a wide range of expenses from housing and healthcare to food and entertainment.
This means that a good salary for a single person is any amount above $45k.