What salary do you need to live in Killeen, TX?
For a single person: about $63,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose TX-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,233 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).
What jobs here actually pay: the typical Killeen worker earns about $46,660/year (BLS OEWS, all occupations) — below the $52,000 a single person needs to cover local essentials, so a median local job alone runs 10% short.
Single person — est. essentials $3,658/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,658/mo
$52,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $4,390/mo
$63,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $5,487/mo
$81,500/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $4,954/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,954/mo
$68,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,945/mo
$83,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,431/mo
$105,500/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $6,150/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,150/mo
$86,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,380/mo
$105,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,225/mo
$133,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $7,177/mo
Tight
take-home covers $7,177/mo
$102,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,612/mo
$123,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,766/mo
$159,500/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,233) + 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, including municipal income tax where the city levies one. These assume adults sharing a home. A household with young children also pays childcare, which in most cities is the largest line after rent — run a search with your own household to price it. Property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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