Top U.S. Cities Where Nurses Are Struggling to Stay Afloat

Hi there nurse,

If you’ve been feeling like your nursing salary isn’t going as far as it should — you’re not crazy. We just pulled the real numbers for nursing salaries in the most populated cities in the U.S., and let’s just say… it’s brutal out there.

Even nurses making over $100K per year are struggling to stay afloat in major cities. In some places, you could make six figures and still end up with less than $1,000 in your bank account after housing and taxes.

Here’s what’s really happening — and what you can do about it:

🔥 Top U.S. Cities Where Nurses Are Struggling to Stay Afloat

1. New York, NY — High Salary, but Even Higher Costs

👉 Median salary = $103,540
👉 Median home price = $752,778
👉 Monthly mortgage = $5,334
👉 Left over after mortgage and taxes = $8,192/year ($683/month)
👉 Average rent = $3,300/month
👉 Left over after rent = $32,600/year ($2,717/month)

Owning = Nightmare. Renting = Survival.

You’d think that making over $100K in New York would mean financial stability — but after mortgage payments, you’d have less than $700 per month left over. That’s barely enough to cover groceries and utilities.

👉 Renting, though? That’s a different story. Renting leaves you with over $2,700/month in take-home pay — which is why so many people in NYC stay renters for life.

2. Los Angeles, CA — High Pay, But You’ll Pay For It

👉 Median salary = $114,260
👉 Median home price = $913,754
👉 Monthly mortgage = $6,467
👉 Left over after mortgage and taxes = $12,200/year ($1,016/month)
👉 Average rent = $3,200/month
👉 Left over after rent = $32,940/year ($2,745/month)

Owning a home in LA? Forget it.

You’d need to be making close to $150K+ per year to comfortably own a home in LA — and even then, you’d still feel strapped for cash. Renting, though, leaves you with enough room to breathe.

3. Chicago, IL — Surprisingly Doable

👉 Median salary = $80,150
👉 Median home price = $297,772
👉 Monthly mortgage = $2,505
👉 Left over after mortgage and taxes = $31,240/year ($2,603/month)
👉 Average rent = $1,950/month
👉 Left over after rent = $37,900/year ($3,158/month)

Chicago is one of the rare big cities where owning a home is actually realistic on a nurse’s salary. After a mortgage and taxes, you’d still have over $2,600/month left over — and if you rent instead, that jumps to over $3,100/month.

👉 This makes Chicago one of the most financially balanced cities for nurses in the U.S.

4. Austin, TX — High Pay, But High Housing Costs

👉 Median salary = $81,400
👉 Median home price = $517,589
👉 Monthly mortgage = $4,026
👉 Left over after mortgage and taxes = $17,112/year ($1,426/month)
👉 Average rent = $1,995/month
👉 Left over after rent = $41,484/year ($3,457/month)

Austin’s cost of living has skyrocketed over the last 5 years. Even though nursing salaries have climbed to match, mortgage costs are outpacing salary increases.

👉 Renting in Austin is clearly the better move — you’d have an extra $24K+ per year in your pocket if you rent instead of buy.

5. Seattle, WA — Good Pay, But Mortgage Payments Will Bleed You Dry

👉 Median salary = $101,660
👉 Median home price = $900,000
👉 Monthly mortgage = $6,500
👉 Left over after mortgage and taxes = $15,780/year ($1,315/month)
👉 Average rent = $2,800/month
👉 Left over after rent = $36,600/year ($3,050/month)

Seattle is a great place to be a nurse on paper — but good luck owning a home there. After a $6,500 mortgage payment, you’d be left with just over $1,300/month to cover everything else.

👉 Renting makes way more sense — it would leave you with over $3K/month in take-home pay.

6. Columbus, OH — One of the Few Cities Where Buying Makes Sense

👉 Median salary = $63,400
👉 Median home price = $261,218
👉 Monthly mortgage = $1,934
👉 Left over after mortgage and taxes = $27,977/year ($2,331/month)
👉 Average rent = $1,395/month
👉 Left over after rent = $34,445/year ($2,870/month)

Columbus is one of the most affordable big cities for nurses. You could actually own a home here without going broke — and even if you rent, you’d still be sitting pretty.

🏆 What This Means:

1. New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle pay the most — but the cost of owning a home in these cities will kill your take-home pay.

2. Chicago and Columbus are actually affordable enough to own a home without sacrificing your lifestyle.

3. Austin and Seattle have inflated housing markets — renting is the smarter play for now.

4. Even in the best-paying cities, renting tends to leave nurses with thousands more in their pocket every year.

💡 What You Should Do Next:

This is why we built Map My Pay — because it’s not about how much you make; it’s about how much you keep.

✅ We calculate your true take-home pay after taxes and housing costs.
✅ We break down the numbers for over 590 cities across the U.S.
✅ We show you exactly where you’ll come out ahead — and where you’ll be working just to survive.

👉 Follow us on instagram — stay connected.

Talk soon,

Jason Nuñez, BSN, RN

Founder/Map My Pay, LLC