Which US city is right for us?

The US is a continent, not a country the size of the UK. Your choice of city shapes your rent, your tax bill, your weather and how many hours you are behind family at home.

Last checked 8 Oct 2026·Information, not advice

In 30 seconds

San Francisco and New York have the highest rents in our table; Austin and Chicago the lowest
Texas and Florida have no state income tax on wages, while New York City residents pay state and city income tax
The East Coast is 5 hours behind the UK for most of the year and the West Coast 8, which matters for calls home

Biggest metro areaNew York20.1 million people, 2025

Lowest 1-bed rent hereAustinAbout $1,248 a month

No state income taxTexas, FloridaOn wages, 2026

Snowiest hereBostonAbout 125cm of snow a year

The cities at a glance

People are for the whole metropolitan area (city plus suburbs), July 2025 Census estimates. Temperatures are the average daily high and rain and snow are yearly averages, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals. Rents are Zillow’s average asking rent for a one-bedroom in the city, October 2026 (market data).

City	People (metro)	January high	July high	Rain a year	Snow a year	1-bed rent
New York	20.1 million	4°C	29°C	1,258mm	76cm	$3,525
Boston	5.0 million	3°C	28°C	1,107mm	125cm	$2,563
Washington DC	6.5 million	7°C	32°C	1,062mm	35cm	$2,100
Chicago	9.4 million	0°C	29°C	962mm	98cm	$1,850
Austin	2.6 million	17°C	36°C	921mm	Almost none	$1,248
Miami	6.4 million	25°C	33°C	1,712mm	None	$2,660
Los Angeles	12.8 million	20°C	28°C	362mm	None	$2,059
San Francisco	4.6 million	14°C	19°C	581mm	None	$4,490

Weather stations: New York Central Park, Boston Logan, Washington Reagan, Chicago O’Hare, Austin Camp Mabry, Miami airport, downtown Los Angeles and downtown San Francisco. Inland suburbs can be much hotter in summer. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, which matters most for Miami. More on weather in Summer and Winter.

Income tax by place

On top of federal income tax, most states tax your pay, and New York City adds its own tax. These are 2026 state rates.

Place	State and local income tax
New York City	New York State 3.9% to 10.9%, plus New York City 3.078% to 3.876% (2025 city rates)
Boston	Massachusetts 5% flat, with a higher rate on income over about $1.1 million
Washington DC	4% to 10.75%
Chicago	Illinois 4.95% flat
Austin	Texas: no income tax on wages
Miami	Florida: no income tax on wages
Los Angeles and San Francisco	California 1% to 13.3% (the top rate includes an extra 1% on income over $1 million)

States without income tax often raise more from sales and property taxes, so compare your whole budget. The pay calculator works out tax for all eight places.

What each place is like, in the numbers

City	In short
New York	The largest metro area in the country. High rents; city income tax on top of state tax
Boston	Smaller, with cold, snowy winters: the most snow in our table. Rents are high
Washington DC	The national capital. Hot summers (July highs average 32°C) and milder winters than New York or Boston
Chicago	A big job market with some of the lowest rents in our table. The coldest January here
Austin	The lowest rents in our table and no state income tax, but the hottest summers: July highs average 36°C
Miami	Warm all year, the wettest city here, and in the hurricane zone. No state income tax
Los Angeles	Mild winters and the driest weather here; the second-largest metro area
San Francisco	Cool summers (a July high of 19°C downtown), the highest rents in our table and high state tax

Time zones and calls home

US standard time runs from 5 hours behind UK time on the East Coast (New York, Boston, DC, Miami) through 6 hours in the Central zone (Chicago, Austin) to 8 hours on the West Coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco). Check the gap again around the spring and autumn clock changes. A 5pm UK call is noon in New York but 9am in California.

A shortlist by household

If you are…	Places to look at first	Why
Single, career first	New York, Los Angeles, Chicago	The biggest metro areas, with the most employers
A couple watching costs	Chicago, Austin	Lower rents leave more to spend and travel
A family	Suburbs of any of our places; compare school districts	School places usually follow your address. See Schools
Keen to keep more of your pay	Austin, Miami	No state income tax on wages
Wanting easy trips to the UK	East Coast cities	The smallest time difference, 5 hours for most of the year

How to decide

Start with where your job, or the most jobs in your field, are
Compare rent for the home you need, plus whether you’ll need a car
Add state and city income tax with the pay calculator
Check summer heat, winter snow and hurricane or wildfire risk
Think about the time difference and how often you’ll fly home

What to do next

Shortlist two or three places
Compare take-home pay in each with the pay calculator
Compare rents with the cost of living calculator

Keep going

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Sources

Last checked 8 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the official source before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.