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Mapped: The Income a Family Needs to Live Comfortably in Every U.S. State

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The Income a Family Needs to Live Comfortably in Every U.S. State

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Families in the top five most expensive U.S. states require an annual income exceeding $270,000 to live comfortably.

This visualization illustrates the income necessary for two working adults with two children to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in each state.

“Comfortable” is defined as the income needed to cover a 50/30/20 budget, with 50% allocated to necessities like housing and utilities, 30% to discretionary spending, and 20% to savings or investments.

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

Massachusetts Tops the List

Massachusetts is the most expensive state to live comfortably in, requiring a total family income of about $301,184. Hawaii ($294,611) comes in second, followed by Connecticut ($279,885).

Housing is one main reason Massachusetts is an expensive state to live in, particularly in the Boston area. In addition, the state also has a high cost of living, including expenses such as healthcare and utilities.

Rank State Income for 2 working adults raising 2 children
1 Massachusetts $301,184
2 Hawaii $294,611
3 Connecticut $279,885
4 New York $278,970
5 California $276,723
6 Colorado $264,992
7 Washington $257,421
8 Oregon $257,338
9 New Jersey $251,181
10 Rhode Island $249,267
11 Vermont $248,352
12 Minnesota $244,774
13 New Hampshire $244,109
14 Alaska $242,611
15 Maryland $239,450
16 Nevada $237,286
17 Virginia $235,206
18 Illinois $231,962
19 Arizona $230,630
20 Pennsylvania $230,464
21 Maine $229,549
22 Delaware $228,966
23 Wisconsin $225,056
24 Utah $218,483
25 Michigan $214,490
26 Nebraska $213,075
27 Georgia $212,826
28 Montana $211,411
28 Iowa $211,411
30 Idaho $211,245
31 North Carolina $209,331
31 Ohio $209,331
33 Florida $209,082
34 Indiana $206,003
35 New Mexico $203,923
36 Wyoming $203,424
37 Missouri $202,259
38 North Dakota $202,176
39 Texas $201,344
40 South Carolina $200,762
41 Kansas $196,768
42 Tennessee $195,770
43 Oklahoma $194,106
44 Alabama $193,606
45 South Dakota $192,608
46 Kentucky $190,112
47 Louisiana $189,613
48 West Virginia $189,363
49 Arkansas $180,794
50 Mississippi $177,798

Meanwhile, Mississippi is the least expensive state for a family to live comfortably, requiring $177,798 per year. Arkansas ($180,794) comes in second, followed by West Virginia ($189,363). In common, all these states share low prices of housing.

Learn More About Cost of Living From Visual Capitalist

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out this graphic, which ranks the median down payment for a house by U.S. state.

The post Mapped: The Income a Family Needs to Live Comfortably in Every U.S. State appeared first on Visual Capitalist.