What We’re Showing?

The map above shows how much income single adults need to live comfortably in each U.S. state.

Methodology 

The calculations for income needed were done by SmartAsset, using the cost of necessities sourced from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, last updated on Feb. 14, 2024.

"Comfortable" in this case was defined as the annual income required to cover a 50/30/20 budget, allocating 50% of earnings to necessities such as housing and utility costs, 30% to discretionary spending, and 20% to savings or investments.

Key Takeaways

Massachusetts is the most expensive state to live comfortably in. A single adult needs to make at least $116,022 annually or $55.78 per hour. 

West Virginia is the least expensive for a single adult, who only needs to make an estimated $37.88 per hour, or $78,790 annually. 

To live comfortably on your own in the top five states, a person would need to earn nearly double the typical income for single earners, as the U.S. median income for single, full-time workers is around $60,000, according to Labor Bureau data.

Rank State Salary needed for a single working adult

1 Massachusetts $116,022

2 Hawaii $113,693

3 California $113,651

4 New York $111,738

5 Washington $106,496

6 Colorado $103,293

7 New Jersey $103,002

8 Maryland $102,918

9 Oregon $101,088

10 Rhode Island $100,838

11 Connecticut $100,381

12 Virginia $99,965

13 New Hampshire $98,093

14 Arizona $97,344

15 Georgia $96,886

16 Alaska $96,762

17 Vermont $95,763

18 Illinois $95,098

19 Delaware $94,141

20 Utah $93,683

21 Nevada $93,434

22 Florida $93,309

23 Maine $91,686

24 Pennsylvania $91,312

25 North Carolina $89,690

26 Minnesota $89,232

27 Idaho $88,733

28 South Carolina $88,317

29 Wyoming $87,651

30 Texas $87,027

31 Tennessee $86,403

32 Indiana $85,030

33 Montana $84,739

34 Kansas $84,656

35 Michigan $84,365

36 Wisconsin $84,115

37 Missouri $84,032

38 Alabama $83,824

39 Nebraska $83,699

40 New Mexico $83,616

41 Iowa $83,366

42 Mississippi $82,742

43 Louisiana $82,451

44 South Dakota $81,453

45 Ohio $80,704

45 Kentucky $80,704

47 North Dakota $80,538

48 Oklahoma $80,413

49 Arkansas $79,456

50 West Virginia $78,790

https://smartasset.com/data-studies/state-salary-living-comfortably-2024