How Much Money It Takes for a Family To Live Comfortably in Each State

Gone are the days when a five-figure salary provides a comfortable living for a family of four, based on a recent SmartAsset study.

So just how much money does a family need to live a comfortable American life? The number varies drastically depending on the state you live in.

Living Large (Enough)

Photo Credit: Mediteraneo via stock.adobe.com.

SmartAsset set out to determine how much money it takes for a family of four (two working grownups and two children) to live comfortably in each state. They based their calculations on the 50/30/20 budget rule, which is broken down as follows:

  • 50% of income goes towards needs (food, housing, electricity, etc.)
  • 30% of income goes towards wants (the fun things in life)
  • 20% of income goes towards savings and retirement

So, it’s important to note that the incomes we’ll be sharing aren’t the bare minimum necessary for a family of four to survive; it’s the minimum necessary to have a comfortable middle-class lifestyle.

With that in mind, this is how much money it takes for a family of four to live comfortably in each state. We’ve ordered this list from the most to least expensive states. We also included the amount of money it takes for a single person to live comfortably in each state as a reference.

Lake in Massachusetts surrounded by fall foliage.

1: Massachusetts

Photo Credit: jayyuan via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $301,184
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $116,022
Sea turtle in Hawaii.

2: Hawaii

Photo Credit: shanemyersphoto via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $294,611
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $113,693
Berlin, Connecticut.

3: Connecticut

Photo Credit: duke2015 via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $279,885
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $100,381
New York City skyline.

4: New York

Photo Credit: TTstudio via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $278,970
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $111,738
Surfboards on the beach

5: California

Photo Credit: eddygaleotti via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $276,723
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $113,651
Colorado Springs, Colorado.

6: Colorado

Photo Credit: Nelson Sirlin via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $264,992
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $103,293
Mt. Rainier in the backdrop in Washington.

7: Washington

Photo Credit: Nathaniel Gonzales via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $257,421
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $106,496
Crater Lake in Oregon.

8: Oregon

Photo Credit: aiisha via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $257,338
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $101,088
Aerial view of New Jersey fall foliage.

9: New Jersey

Photo Credit: Gary via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $251,181
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $103,002
Middletown, Rhode Island.

10: Rhode Island

Photo Credit: Faina Gurevich via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $249,267
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $100,838
Sunrise over Vermont mountains in autumn.

11: Vermont

Photo Credit: latypova via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $248,352
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $95,763
Grand Portage State Park Minnesota

12: Minnesota

Photo Credit: AMB-MD Photography via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $244,774
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $89,232
New Hampshire road winding through mountains in the fall.

13: New Hampshire

Photo Credit: Winston Tan via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $244,109
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $98,093
Dog sledding.

14: Alaska

Photo Credit: Kadmy via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $242,611
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $96,762
Stream in the fall.

15: Maryland

Photo Credit: Paul via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $239,450
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $102,918
Colorful rocks in Nevada.

16: Nevada

Photo Credit: Fyle via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $237,286
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $93,434
Sandstone Falls in Hinton, West Virginia.

17: Virginia

Photo Credit: Lori via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $235,206
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $99,965
Road in the fall in Illinois.

18: Illinois

Photo Credit: nejdetduzen via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $231,962
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $95,098

19: Arizona

Photo Credit: edb3_16 via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $230,630
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $97,344
Aerial view of barns and fields in Pennsylvania countryside.

20: Pennsylvania

Photo Credit: asafaric via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $230,464
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $91,312
Maine lighthouse on rocky ocean coastline.

21: Maine

Photo Credit: Seven Palms Studio via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $229,549
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $91,686
Marshy area in Delaware.

22: Delaware

Photo Credit: Clendaniel Photo via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $228,966
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $94,141
Winding road through Wisconsin countryside.

23: Wisconsin

Photo Credit: Jason via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $225,056
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $84,115
Mount Timpanogos, Utah.

24: Utah

Photo Credit: Juancat via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $218,483
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $93,683
Path through a forest.

25: Michigan

Photo Credit: SNEHIT PHOTO via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $214,490
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $84,365
Hay field and rock formations in Nebraska.

26: Nebraska

Photo Credit: Don Lewis via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $213,075
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $83,699
Marsh land in Georgia.

27: Georgia

Photo Credit: Jpeetz/Wirestock Creators via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $212,826
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $96,886

28: Montana

Photo Credit: ricktravel via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $211,411
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $84,739
Straw field in Iowa.

29: Iowa

Photo Credit: S Quintans via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $211,411 (tied with Montana)
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $83,366
Mountains in Idaho.

30: Idaho

Photo Credit: James via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $211,245
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $88,733
Mountain view in North Carolina.

31: North Carolina

Photo Credit: James via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $209,331
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $89,690

32: Ohio

Photo Credit: rouda100 via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $209,331 (tied with North Carolina)
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $80,704 (tied with Kentucky)
Two manatees.

33: Florida

Photo Credit: Andrea Izzotti via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $209,082
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $93,309
Bridge at Turkey Run State Park, Indiana.

34: Indiana

Photo Credit: Michael Carroll via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $206,003
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $85,030
Kiva in an Acient Cave Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico.

35: New Mexico

Photo Credit: Tom via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $203,923
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $83,616
Sun setting behind snowcap mountains in Wyoming national park.

36: Wyoming

Photo Credit: Sean Xu via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $203,424
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $87,651
Country road.

37: Missouri

Photo Credit: Larry via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $202,259
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $84,032
Overlook at sunrise in North Dakota national park.

38: North Dakota

Photo Credit: Zak Zeinert via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $202,176
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $80,538
Cowboy herding cows.

39: Texas

Photo Credit: Terri Cage via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $201,344
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $87,027
Shrimp boat in South Carolina.

40: South Carolina

Photo Credit: dmsphoto via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $200,762
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $88,317
Bison grazing.

41: Kansas

Photo Credit: ricardoreitmeyer via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $196,768
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $84,656
Cloudy sunset over Tennessee mountains.

42: Tennessee

Photo Credit: marknortona via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $195,770
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $86,403
Longhorn cattle in Oklahoma.

43: Oklahoma

Photo Credit: Bob via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $194,106
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $80,413
Alabama highway over low country.

44: Alabama

Photo Credit: George via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $193,606
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $83,824

45: South Dakota

Photo Credit: ExploringandLiving via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $192,608
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $81,453
Sun shining over Kentucky field.

46: Kentucky

Photo Credit: kellyvandellen via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $190,112
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $80,704
Boat on Louisiana lake at sundown.

47: Louisiana

Photo Credit: Bonnie Taylor Barry via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $189,613
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $82,451
Bridge in West Virginia.

48: West Virginia

Photo Credit: Barry via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $189,613
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $78,790
Ozark Mountains, Arkansas.

49: Arkansas

Photo Credit: Thorin Wolfheart via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $180,794
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $79,456
Mississippi River.

50: Mississippi

Photo Credit: Daniel Thornberg via stock.adobe.com.
  • Income for a family of four to live comfortably: $177,798
  • Income for a single person to live comfortably: $82,742

The Cali Conundrum

Tall Californian palm trees.
Photo Credit: marchello74 via stock.adobe.com.

Relatively speaking, it’s cheaper to comfortably raise a family in California than it is for a single person to live comfortably alone. However, given that many California cities consistently make it onto lists of the topmost expensive cities to live in the U.S., the Golden State’s fifth-place ranking might surprise many.

According to U.S. News & World Report, the most expensive cities in California are Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa, San Diego, and San Francisco. That said, Hartford, Connecticut, tops the list as the most expensive city.

Childcare Woes

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SmartAsset’s study assumes two working parents contribute to a household’s income. However, the reality is often much different. Based on 2021 data from the Census Bureau, the price for a single child to have childcare for one year ranged from $4,810 to $15,417. In 2024 dollars, that’s around $5,765 to $18,480. For a family with two children, you can expect those numbers to double.

Depending on how much a parent brings in, it often makes more financial sense for one parent to stay at home with their children rather than go to work and pay for daycare.

Inflation Discriminates

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Inflation is cooling off in the U.S., but countless Americans are still feeling its wrath. Many financial experts blame inflation for disproportionately impacting low-income households.

The reason? People in low-income households typically spend a large portion of their money on gas, food, and rent. All of these categories have had higher-than-average inflation rates in recent years. In contrast, middle-income households often have more leeway for navigating inflation, for they can choose to shop at cheaper stores and buy products that aren’t the more expensive brands they usually purchase. Lower-income households usually don’t have this flexibility, for they’re often already buying the cheapest items.

19 Things the Middle Class Won’t Be Able To Afford in 5 Years

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If current financial trends continue, middle-class Americans may find things they used to afford unattainable. These are the troubling things that will likely become more difficult to afford in the next five years.

19 Things the Middle Class Won’t Be Able To Afford in 5 Years

25 Cheapest Places To Live in America

Sold house.
Photo Credit: Andy Dean via stock.adobe.com.

Are you in the market for a home but are tired of high housing prices where you’re looking? If your job allows you to be location-independent, these are the most economical places to live in the US that just might be worth moving to.

25 Cheapest Places to Live in America

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