AUSTIN (KXAN) — While a six-figure salary might sound like a cushiony financial spot to be in, it all depends on the costs of living where you reside.
Personal finance company SmartAsset released last week its guide on how far $100,000 salaries stretch in the largest U.S. cities for 2025. The report found the Lone Star State was particularly advantageous for workers to get the most bang for their buck, with five Texas cities — El Paso, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, San Antonio and Houston — among the top 10 for most valuable $100,000 salaries.
“Texas has the advantage of no state or local income taxes,” the report noted, contributing to its higher values.
- El Paso, Texas: Ranked No. 2 among largest U.S. cities
- Value of $100,000 in 2025: $89,114
- Value of $100,000 in 2024: $88,840
- Year-over-year change: 0.3%
- Corpus Christi, Texas: Ranked No. 3 among largest U.S. cities
- Value of $100,000 in 2025: $88,015
- Value of $100,000 in 2024: $86,383
- Year-over-year change: 1.9%
- Lubbock, Texas: Ranked No. 6 among largest U.S. cities
- Value of $100,000 in 2025: $86,846
- Value of $100,000 in 2024: $85,065
- Year-over-year change: 0.5%
- San Antonio, Texas: Ranked No. 7 among largest U.S. cities
- Value of $100,000 in 2025: $86,084
- Value of $100,000 in 2024: $85,625
- Year-over-year change: 0.5%
- Houston, Texas: Ranked No. 9 among largest U.S. cities
- Value of $100,000 in 2025: $83,343
- Value of $100,000 in 2024: $82,986
- Year-over-year change: 0.4%
How did the state capital fare? Among 69 cities analyzed, SmartAsset’s report determined the six-figure salary in Austin landed among the Top 20 for best valuations. In 2025, that salary amounted to $80,605, representing a 2.1% increase over 2024’s valuation of $78,959.
Elsewhere in Texas, Plano saw the second-highest valuation increase in the country among the nearly 70 cities reviewed. Its $100,000 salary worth jumped 6.4%, reflecting a $71,372 valuation in 2025 compared to $67,088 in 2024.
SmartAsset’s full report is available online.
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