A household salary of $80,000 might be enough to live comfortably in only nine of the nation’s 50 largest cities. Even a $90,000 salary delivers a comfortable lifestyle in only 17 of the biggest U.S.

For decades, as the American economy tilted toward white-collar work, big urban counties thrived. Cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco boomed on the back of fast-growing service ...

A recent analysis by a personal finance website says Detroit residents spend an average of 13.17% of their household income to pay for typical health care costs, the highest percentage among residents ...