The salary a single person needs to live comfortably in every U.S. state (2024)

A single person will need to earn over six figures to live comfortably in the most expensive U.S. states, a SmartAsset analysis reveals.

"Comfortable" is defined as the monthly income needed to cover a 50/30/20 budget, which allocates 50% of your earnings for necessities like housing and utility costs, 30% for discretionary spending and 20% for savings or investments.

The income needed for each state was extrapolated based on the cost of necessities, using data from the MIT Living Wage Calculator.

Here's a look at the five most-costly states for single workers, based on how much money residents would need to earn each year to live comfortably.

  1. Massachusetts: $116,022
  2. Hawaii: $113,693
  3. California: $113,651
  4. New York: $111,738
  5. Washington: $106,496

To live comfortably on your own in these states, you'd need to earn nearly double what most single earners typically make, as the U.S median income for single, full-time workers is around $60,000, per Labor Bureau data.

The national median for living comfortably alone is $89,461, which suggests that a 50/30/20 budget might not be practical for most single people.

Living alone comes with added costs that can be more than double what you'd spend if you lived with someone else — otherwise known as the "singles tax." Housing is the most obvious expense, but single people also pay extra costs for groceries, travel, transportation and entertainment.

To make ends meetwhile living alone,youmight need to find roomin your budget. That couldmeanchoosing asmaller spaceor spending less on discretionary purchases, like travel.

Here's a look at the income needed to live comfortably in each state, listed in alphabetical order.

Alabama

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $83,824

Alaska

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $96,762

Arizona

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $97,344

Arkansas

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $79,456

California

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $113,651

Colorado

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $103,292

Connecticut

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $100,381

Delaware

Florida

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $93,309

Georgia

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $96,886

Hawaii

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $113,693

Idaho

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $88,733

Illinois

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $95,098

Indiana

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $85,030

Iowa

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $83,366

Kansas

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $84,656

Kentucky

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $80,704

Louisiana

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $82,451

Maine

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $91,686

Maryland

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $102,918

Massachusetts

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $116,022

Michigan

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $84,365

Minnesota

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $89,232

Mississippi

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $82,742

Missouri

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $84,032

Montana

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $84,739

Nebraska

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $83,699

Nevada

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $93,434

New Hampshire

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $98,094

New Jersey

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $103,002

New Mexico

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $83,616

New York

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $111,738

North Carolina

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $89,690

North Dakota

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $52,807

Ohio

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $80,704

Oklahoma

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $80,413

Oregon

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $101,088

Pennsylvania

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $91,312

Rhode Island

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $100,838

South Carolina

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $88,317

South Dakota

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $81,453

Tennessee

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $86,403

Texas

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $87,027

Utah

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $93,683

Vermont

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $95,763

Virginia

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $99,965

Washington

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $106,496

West Virginia

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $78,790

Wisconsin

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $84,115

Wyoming

  • Annual income needed to live comfortably: $87,651

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The salary a single person needs to live comfortably in every U.S. state (1)

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The salary a single person needs to live comfortably in every U.S. state (2024)

FAQs

The salary a single person needs to live comfortably in every U.S. state? ›

The national median for living comfortably alone is $89,461, which suggests that a 50/30/20 budget might not be practical for most single people. Living alone comes with added costs that can be more than double what you'd spend if you lived with someone else — otherwise known as the “singles tax.”

How much do you need to live comfortably in every state? ›

Download Table Data
State0 Children (annual)2 Children (annual)
California$44,179$117,478
Maryland$40,789$105,248
Washington$40,726$103,397
Oregon$40,310$100,298
29 more rows

What is a comfortable salary for a single person? ›

The national median for living comfortably alone is $89,461, which suggests that a 50/30/20 budget might not be practical for most single people. Living alone comes with added costs that can be more than double what you'd spend if you lived with someone else — otherwise known as the “singles tax.”

What is a livable salary in the US? ›

According to research from MIT, the living wage in the United States was $25.02 per hour ($104,077.70 per year) before taxes per year in 2022 for a family of four (two working adults with two children). That's an increase from $24.16 ($100,498.60 per year) in 2021.

How much money does a family of four need to live comfortably in the USA? ›

A family of four needs to make more than $275,000 to live comfortably in some of the most expensive U.S. cities, a recent SmartAsset analysis reveals. “Comfortable” is defined as the income needed to cover a 50/30/20 budget for a family of two adults and two kids.

Is $20 an hour a livable wage? ›

A person must earn $44,175 a year (before taxes) — or $21.24 an hour — to make a livable wage in California now, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's living wage calculator, which is updated annually.

What is $60,000 a year hourly? ›

How much is $60,000 a year per hour? A $60,000 annual salary is equivalent to earning a $28.85 hourly wage, or $230.80 each day. This is based on the employee working for eight hours a day, 52 weeks a year.

What is a realistic living budget for a single person? ›

The average monthly expenses for one person can vary, but the average single person spends about $3,405 per month. Housing tends to consume the highest portion of monthly income, with the average annual spending on housing at $1,885 per month per person.

Is 200k a good salary for a single person? ›

If you had an income of $200,000, that would put you in the top 12% of household incomes or the top 5% of individual incomes in 2022. Though I prefer household income over individual income, no matter how you cut it, $200k a year puts you on the higher end of the income spectrum.

Is 70k a good salary for a single person? ›

If you are a single person in Los Angeles making around $70,000 a year, you are still considered low-income, according to a new statewide study. The California Department of Housing and Community Development released the report in June and found that income limits have increased in most counties across California.

What is a good salary in the US per month? ›

According to the latest figures by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average salary in USA per month is $5,677 or $68,124 per year. As of 2023, the gross minimum salary in the USA is $32.75 per hour. Salaries range from $32,916 to $112,268 per year and include housing, transport, and other benefits.

Is $75000 a good salary in USA? ›

While people have different qualifications and different ideas of what constitutes a good salary, most would consider $75,000 per year to be good pay.

Can you live with 30k a year in USA? ›

It's quite possible to live well on $30,000 per year if you're debt-free, but what if you have debt? I would recommend trying to pay it off as quickly as possible with the debt snowball approach. Cut your expenses as much as you can and put the amount you save toward debt each month.

What is a good salary in 2024? ›

Decent Salary
Annual SalaryHourly Wage
Top Earners$86,000$41
75th Percentile$68,500$33
Average$44,910$22
25th Percentile$24,500$12

What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

How much does the average American need per month to live? ›

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average household spent $6,080 each month on housing and other monthly expenses in 2022. 1 This represents a 9% increase from 2021, while average income increased 7.5% in the same time period.

Is 7000 enough to move out of state? ›

Depending on a variety of factors, it could cost anywhere from $3000 to $7000 to move out of state – and even more if you're moving cross country or moving a home that has more than 5 bedrooms.

Is $25 an hour a livable wage? ›

An analysis of the living wage (as calculated in December 2022 and reflecting a compensation being offered to an individual in 2023), compiling geographically specific expenditure data for food, childcare, health care, housing, transportation, and other necessities, finds that: The living wage in the United States is ...

What is the cheapest state to live in? ›

Mississippi: According to World Population Review, in 2023, Mississippi holds the title of the cheapest state to live in the United States. Its cost of living index is 85, and overall costs in the state are 17% lower than the national average.

What state is the best to live in financially? ›

Top 5 Best States for Families To Live on the Average Salary
  1. Connecticut: The Best State Financially for Families. Among all states, Connecticut provides the most optimal conditions for a comfortable lifestyle, with the average two-earner household earning $144,146 a year. ...
  2. New Hampshire. ...
  3. Maryland. ...
  4. New Jersey. ...
  5. Virginia.
Feb 20, 2024

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