10 Cities Where You Can Make Big Money While Maintaining a Great Work-Life Balance
Finding a city that offers both a high salary and a healthy work-life balance is the ultimate goal for many professionals. In fact, it is often the new filter through which a majority of middle-class people view the American Dream.
Suppose you are looking to move and seek an area where you can avoid long commutes, high stress and limited personal time. Are there places in the U.S. where you can boost your earning potential, enjoy a more balanced lifestyle and combat the rising cost of living?
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To identify these ideal locations, MoneyLion analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau to find cities where the median household income is at least 120% of the national average, and where total work time, including commuting, is relatively low.
Here are 10 cities with high salaries and the best work-life balance, ranked in reverse order.
10. Princeton, New Jersey
Household median income: $184,113
Amount above the national average income ($): $105,575
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 39.3
9. Blackwells Mills, New Jersey
Household median income: $248,149
Amount above the national average income ($): $169,611
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 42.4
8. Dunn Loring, Virginia
Household median income: $236,563
Amount above the national average income ($): $158,025
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 41.5
7. Arden Hills, Minnesota
Household median income: $128,668
Amount above the national average income ($): $50,130
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 35.2
6. Highland, Utah
Household median income: $178,662
Amount above the national average income ($): $100,124
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 37.8
5. Granville, Ohio
Household median income: $123,860
Amount above the national average income ($): $45,322
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 34
4. George Mason, Virginia
Household median income: $154,479
Amount above the national average income ($): $75,941
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 35.5
3. South Hill, New York
Household median income: $112,437
Amount above the national average income ($): $33,899
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 32.1
2. Durham, New Hampshire
Household median income: $109,934
Amount above the national average income ($): $31,396
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 29.8
1. Montecito, California
Household median income: $222,266
Amount above the national average income ($): $144,428
Total work time (usual hours worked + travel time to work): 35.5
Methodology: Median household income was sourced from the 2023 American Consumer Survey as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The national median household income was sourced from the 2023 ACS and was used to determine how much over or under a city’s median household income is from the national income, showing cities with high salaries. Using the mean usual hours worked as well as the mean commuting time per week, a weekly time cost was calculated, showing how much time commitment the average person in a city is commuting to/from work. Only those cities below the national average in terms of total work time + commuting were considered. All data was collected on Oct. 16, 2025.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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