What salary do you need to live in Austin, TX?
For a single person: about $67,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose TX-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,700 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and no state income tax (Texas doesn't have one).
Single person — est. essentials $3,865/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,865/mo
$55,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $4,638/mo
$67,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $5,798/mo
$87,000/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $5,206/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,206/mo
$72,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $6,247/mo
$88,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,809/mo
$111,500/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $6,286/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,286/mo
$89,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,543/mo
$107,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,429/mo
$137,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $7,233/mo
Tight
take-home covers $7,233/mo
$103,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,680/mo
$124,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,850/mo
$161,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,700) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Texas's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier. Local income taxes and property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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