Relocation by Numbers
One Income vs Two Income

Can you actually afford this move on one income?

Assumptions updated: October 2026

Most people underestimate how tight a move feels on one income. This calculator shows you the real numbers, before you sign a lease.

Real tax estimates · City-level housing data · 100+ US cities · Free, no signup · Takes about a minute

Start the calculator ↓
Federal & state taxesRent & buy modesChildcare costsSecond income neededSafe / Tight / Stretch verdict

100+

US cities modeled

Real taxes

Federal + state + local

Instant answer

Safe · Tight · Stretch

Start Calculator

Household

Income

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$
$
$
%

Locations

Current location

Target location

What you pay now

$
$

Pre-filled from the current city's Census rent and BEA price levels. Enter what you really pay for a better comparison.

Housing in target city

$
$

One-time moving costs

Used for first-year impact and cash needed
$
$
$
$
$
$

The refundable deposit counts toward the cash you need but not toward what the move costs. Everything else is spent.

Monthly living costs

Pre-filled from city averages, edit as needed
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$
$
$
$
$

Assumptions updated: October 2026 · Planning estimates only

These results include estimated taxes, housing, and baseline living costs, adjust inputs for your exact situation.

Want to compare this city with another option?

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If this move doesn't work on one income, you need to know before you commit, not after.

This calculator is for you if…

💼

One job secured, one pending

You're relocating for one offer and not sure when the second income arrives.

🏡

Moving before the plan is set

You need to know if the move works at all on one salary, just in case.

🧍

Solo mover pressure-testing

You want to see how far your paycheck goes in the new city.

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Estimate the second income your household would need to make this move work, after taxes.

Example:A $110K salary in Austin, TX becomes ~$6,700/month after taxes, but housing alone can take $2,800+, and housing pressure is high enough to tip many households into Stretch territory.

How to use this calculator

Four steps. One clear verdict.

  1. 01

    Enter your income

    Add income, 401(k), and filing status for accurate take-home, one income or two.

  2. 02

    Choose your cities

    Pick origin and destination. Tax rates and cost-of-living multipliers adjust automatically.

  3. 03

    Set your housing costs

    Toggle rent or buy. Rent auto-fills from city data; buy mode estimates mortgage, tax, insurance, and PMI.

  4. 04

    Read your verdict

    Get Safe, Tight, or Stretch, plus an estimate of the second income needed to make the move work.

What this calculator helps you answer

This tool is built to answer a practical relocation question: does the move still work if your household has to rely on one income, or if the second income is delayed?

It compares one-income and two-income affordability using real tax estimates, housing burden, monthly flexibility, childcare, and other recurring costs, so you can see whether the move looks safe, tight, or stretched before you commit.

It is especially useful for couples relocating for one job, families moving before a second income is secured, and solo movers trying to pressure-test affordability in a new city.

See methodology

Most relocation mistakes happen because people assume their income stretches further than it actually does.

Frequently asked questions

Is moving on one income a bad idea?+
Not always, but it depends on how much flexibility you have after housing, taxes, and fixed costs. This calculator shows whether you're safely within budget or at risk of financial strain. Many couples move on one income successfully; the key is knowing the numbers first.
Can a family afford to move on one income?+
It depends on the target city, income level, and housing costs. The calculator shows a Safe, Tight, or Stretch verdict based on housing burden and monthly leftover cash, so you get a clear answer, not a guess.
How much salary do I need to move to a new city?+
It depends on rent, local taxes, and lifestyle costs in that city. This calculator estimates the minimum income needed to cover expenses and stay under a safe housing ratio, customized per city, not national averages.
How much second income do we need to make this move work?+
The calculator estimates two thresholds: the income needed to simply break even month-to-month, and the higher income needed to keep housing under 30% of take-home. Most couples need the second figure to feel comfortable.
Is this calculator for renters and buyers?+
Yes. Toggle between rent and buy. The buy mode estimates mortgage P&I, property tax, homeowners insurance, and PMI based on your city and down payment. Both modes feed the same affordability verdict.
Does it include taxes and childcare?+
Yes. Federal tax, state income tax, FICA, and city-level local taxes are built into the take-home estimate. Childcare costs are pre-filled by city and household type, and you can edit all inputs.
What does Safe, Tight, or Stretch mean?+
Safe means housing stays under 30% of take-home with at least $400/month left over. Tight means limited flexibility or housing between 30–40%. Stretch means housing pressure is high or monthly cash flow turns negative.
Can I use this as a single person moving for a new job?+
Yes. Choose Solo household and enter one income. The tool calculates your take-home, housing burden, and monthly flexibility in the destination city, and flags whether you're in safe or stretched territory.

Keep planning

More tools for your relocation decision.

Planning estimates only · Tax figures based on 2026 federal brackets and each state's published rules; employee-paid state payroll programs (such as CA SDI or NY PFL) are included where the state has them · Assumptions updated: October 2026

Sources and limits

Tax figures come from IRS and state government publications (2026 rules, checked October 13, 2026). Written and maintained by Relocation By Numbers. Sources and limits reviewed October 13, 2026. Found a mistake? Tell us in the feedback box below. Full methodology

Sources

City rent, home-price and property-tax defaults come from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 (tables B25113, B25109, B25058, B25064, B25077 and B25103). City price levels for housing, goods, utilities and other services come from BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Insurance and closing-cost defaults, and the dollar budgets for groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare and childcare, are planning assumptions, not government data; the price-level indexes only scale them by city.

The move comparison subtracts what the household keeps now from what it would keep after the move, and splits the change into pay, taxes, housing and other costs. First-year impact is twelve months of that change minus the one-time costs that are spent; a refundable deposit and a down payment count toward cash needed but not toward cost. Ranges move only the figures this site estimated, by 10% for housing, 15% for living costs and 25% for one-time costs. Those spreads, the one-time cost defaults and the living-cost budgets are planning assumptions, not government data.

Not included

  • Wages only: no self-employment, investment, capital-gain or other non-wage income.
  • Standard deduction only; no itemized deductions, tax credits (dependents, education, earned income and others) or alternative minimum tax.
  • Single and married-filing-jointly only; no head of household or married filing separately.
  • Employers may pay some or all of a state paid-leave program's employee share; the calculators assume the largest employee share the law allows.
  • Local income taxes cover a resident who works in the same city; commuter taxes and credits for tax paid to another city are not included.
  • Taxes follow the state and city you move to; working in a different state or city from where you live is not modeled.

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