American wages, especially in major cities, can be much higher than what a person might make for equivalent work in a developing nation like India or Nigeria. It is often a prudent decision for a young person fresh out of college or a parent trying to save money for their family to move temporarily to the US on a work visa and send some money back home. But America is huge, complicated, and the variety of tax laws in different states can be overwhelming to consider. Here are a few of the best cities in America that have low income taxes, competitive wages, and have jobs in industries like technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and accommodation that are popular with foreign born workers.

Miami, Florida 

Miami has a metro population of about six million, and is relatively far from other major American cities, located near the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. It is a bilingual city, with Spanish being spoken widely as well as English, thanks to large Nicaraguan, Honduran, and especially Cuban populations. Miami has a low unemployment rate and strong projected job growth. It has a fairly low average income, but this is largely due to the presence of a large retiree population who live on retirement savings and small social security checks. Like all of Florida, there are no income taxes here (other than federal income tax).

The cost of living is a bit higher than the national average, but most of this is wrapped up in the moderately high cost of housing. If you can get a good deal on an apartment here, the remaining costs are reasonable. You have warm weather year round and many entertainment options as well as a large number of beaches to enjoy. The crime rate is somewhat high, but has been trending downwards for more than 20 years and is about average for a major American city. The tourism industry is huge here, with the city catering to all kinds of travelers and cruise ship enthusiasts. Given the high population of senior citizens, there is also a growing industry in healthcare and senior living. 

Houston, Texas

Texas is a huge state with no income taxes and several large cities, of which Houston is the biggest. Houston can be a great place to make some good money, as it has a low cost of living while maintaining a relatively high average income. In fact, Houston is one of the cheapest major American cities you could choose to live in, with apartments under $800 a month being relatively easy to find. The technology industry is growing here, and the healthcare, construction, and petroleum industries remain major employers. Houston is an ethnically diverse city where Spanish is widely spoken. While Texans in general are fairly conservative and are not always open-minded about immigrants and foreign workers, people in the big cities like Houston lean more liberal and are generally friendly to people of all backgrounds. 

    Be aware that Houston has a pretty harsh climate, featuring very hot summers, a hurricane season, a fire season, and a history of tornadoes, wildfires, hailstorms, and flooding. If you do move here, make sure to follow basic emergency preparedness tips in case you ever lose power or water, or can’t leave your home for a couple of days. Also, Houston is many things, but few regard its surroundings as beautiful. Be prepared for an endless expanse of suburbs surrounded by an endless expands of plains and farmland. It is located on the coast, but unlike Miami it is not known for its beautiful beaches. Houston makes up for this in some way by having a great night life and cultural institutions like museums and large music venues.

Seattle, Washington

By some measures, the state of Washington has the highest quality of life of any place in the USA. It has no state income tax, is filled with trees and scenic views, and has consistently good scores in the areas of healthcare and education. Seattle is its largest city, and is one of the nicest and most livable large cities in the country. The city itself is attractive and is located in an attractive setting, albeit one that gets rain rather frequently. Seattle is the cultural center of the northwestern United States, and there is an endless number of things to do here. The unemployment rate is low and the projected job growth is above the national average, making Seattle a good place to look for work. It has a diversified economy with lots of opportunities in technology, thanks to the presence of big companies like Amazon and Microsoft, as well as many small tech companies that are always looking for skilled foreign workers.

Seattle has a high average income, but it’s also the most expensive city on this list to live in. Its very difficult to find apartments under $1000 a month, and $1200 a month for a one bedroom would be more realistic. Given the high cost of living, it’s not uncommon for single people or even couples to split the rent with others to keep housing costs down. The other big problem with Seattle is the high property crime rate. Violent crime is fairly uncommon here, but be careful with your belongings, especially bikes and cars.

Nashville, Tennessee

    Nashville is not well known outside of the US, where it is nationally famous for its history as a major producer of music. It has been the home of many famous musicians including Johnny Cash, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, the Kings of Leon, Dolly Parton, Little Richard, and Tim McGraw. Nashville has a great nightlife and many high quality restaurants to choose from. All of this music and entertainment means lots of jobs in tourism and hospitality, which can make foreign workers a decent living, considering that Tennessee has no sales taxes and the cost of living here is fairly low. Apartments can be had for under $900 a month, though you will need to spend at least $1000 if you want to live near the city center. 

    Nashville does have pretty hot, humid summers, and has a higher crime rate than would be ideal. Its a car-oriented city, with a fairly poor mass transit system compared to cities like Miami or Seattle. This means it might be a pain to get around unless you live near the city center or buy a car. On the bright side, the jobs outlook here is pretty strong, with higher than average growth and lower than average unemployment. In addition to its tourism industry, Nashville has a well diversified local economy, with jobs available in technology, healthcare, and finance.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas has a huge reputation as a city for gambling and entertainment, and one that is well earned. There are huge opportunities in the tourism and hospitality industry here, and the giant casinos, restaurants, and hotels found along the strip (the main street for entertainment) don’t at all mind hiring foreign workers, as a rule. Servers, hotel staff, and casino employees can make higher wages here than they could for similar occupations in most parts of the country, and the lack of state taxes means they can keep more of it. The downside is that Las Vegas is a very focused city, and there are fewer opportunities here for healthcare and technology sector workers than in many other cities this size. Las Vegas is also another hot city, which may not be to everyone’s taste, though it tends to have low humidity and few natural disasters. Las Vegas is another city where you can get by speaking Spanish, and the city is ethnically diverse, so you won’t feel out of place or unwelcome because of where you come from.

    Las Vegas has lots of cheap flights in and out of the city, making travel easy, and the night life here is tremendous fun, if a bit expensive. Other living costs are pretty reasonable, though rents have been increasing in recent years and the city continues to grow, although its not too hard to find apartments under $900 a month. There is some crime here, but it’s not too bad, just be careful at night in the city’s rougher neighborhoods. The strip itself has some property crime problems, but cops try to patrol the area regularly and every casino has private security to keep everyone as safe as possible.