Individuals in the top 11 most expensive states in the U.S. need an annual income exceeding $100,000 to live comfortably.
This map, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, shows how much income single adults need to live comfortably in each U.S. state. SmartAsset calculated the income needed using the cost of necessities sourced from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, last updated on Feb. 14, 2024.
In this case, “comfortable” 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.
Massachusetts Ranks First
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.
| 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 |
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.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out this graphic, which ranks the income a family needs to live comfortably in every U.S. state.
