(NEXSTAR) – How much money you bring in varies drastically depending on where you live in the U.S., and while the cost of living continues to rise across the country, the amount of income being earned nationwide is slowly rising as well.
According to a new study from SmartAsset, residents in the U.S. saw a 1.3% increase in household income from last year, with the average household bringing in roughly $83,730 a year.
Some cities in particular saw a much larger increase year over year than the rest of the country. To find which cities stood out, SmartAsset examined the latest U.S. Census Bureau data and examined what the median household income was for American residents living in the 50 largest U.S. cities in 2023 and 2024.
Tampa, FL landed at the top of the list with a 15.46% increase in household income, going from the average income being $72,851 to now being $84,114.
After Tampa, three California cities were listed with Long Beach, San Francisco, and Fresno all seeing between a 10-11% increase in household income.
Here are the 15 cities that are seeing more income year over year than the rest of the country, according to SmartAsset.
| Rank | City | Change in household income | Household income, 2024 | Household income, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa, FL | 15.46% | $84,114 | $72,851 |
| 2 | Long Beach, CA | 11.90% | $91,318 | $81,606 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | 10.31% | $139,801 | $126,730 |
| 4 | Fresno, CA | 10.19% | $74,491 | $67,603 |
| 5 | Louisville, KY | 9.37% | $67,251 | $61,488 |
| 6 | San Jose, CA | 8.81% | $148,226 | $136,229 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | 8.73% | $64,778 | $59,579 |
| 8 | Tucson, AZ | 8.57% | $60,483 | $55,708 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | 8.24% | $80,613 | $74,474 |
| 10 | Mesa, AZ | 8.13% | $85,580 | $79,145 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | 7.59% | $67,084 | $62,350 |
| 12 | Arlington, TX | 7.48% | $74,388 | $69,208 |
| 13 | Kansas City, MO | 7.26% | $69,958 | $65,225 |
| 14 | Charlotte, NC | 7.24% | $86,416 | $80,581 |
| 15 | Tulsa, OK | 7.23% | $60,930 | $56,821 |
On the other end of the spectrum, several cities are actually making less money year over year.
Minneapolis, MN ranks as the major city with the largest difference in household income, seeing 4.04% less money year over year, with Miami, FL, not far behind, making 3.35% less income.
Here’s the full list of cities seeing less money on average, according to SmartAsset.
| Rank | City | Change in household income | Household income, 2024 | Household income, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Minneapolis, MN | -4.04% | $77,732 | $81,001 |
| 49 | Miami, FL | -3.35% | $66,337 | $68,635 |
| 48 | Denver, CO | -1.76% | $92,504 | $94,157 |
| 47 | Seattle, WA | -1.54% | $118,745 | $120,608 |
| 46 | Raleigh, NC | -1.45% | $85,060 | $86,309 |
| 45 | Austin, TX | -1.17% | $90,430 | $91,501 |
| 44 | Nashville, TN | -0.16% | $80,090 | $80,217 |
To see the full list of cities, check out SmartAsset’s study on their website.
