Here’s the salary it takes to live comfortably in each US state in 2026
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Toby Nelson for SmartAsset
As housing, grocery, transportation and other essential costs pressure household budgets, earning a six-figure salary no longer guarantees financial comfort in much of the U.S. A single adult now needs at least $80,000 a year to live comfortably in every state, while the threshold exceeds $100,000 in nearly half of states. For a family of four, the income needed to live comfortably is as much as $329,000.
SmartAsset used MIT Living Wage Calculator data to analyze the living wage in each state — what a full-time worker must earn to cover minimum basic needs — and adjusted it using the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. Under the rule, 50% of income goes to necessities like housing and utilities, 30% to discretionary spending and 20% to savings for retirement and emergencies. The resulting estimate represents the annual, pre-tax income needed to live comfortably in each state.
Key Findings
In most states, a family of four needs at least $200,000 a year to live comfortably. That threshold applies in 40 states for households with two working adults and two children.
Massachusetts and Hawai‘i are the most expensive states to live comfortably. Massachusetts is the most expensive state for a family of four, with an income requirement of $329,555. Hawai‘i is the most expensive state for single adults, who need $129,002.
Montana had the largest increase in the income needed to live comfortably. For a single adult, that threshold rose 8.6% since 2025, the largest increase in the study.
Mississippi and West Virginia are the least expensive states to live comfortably. Mississippi is the least expensive state for a family of four, with an income requirement of $187,533. West Virginia is the least expensive state for single adults, who need $81,245.
In six states, the income needed to live comfortably has declined since 2025. Those states are Tennessee, Maryland, Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi and Texas. In each, a single adult needs less income in 2026 than in 2025.
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States Ranked by Year-over-Year Change for Single Adults
1. Montana
Income needed for a single adult: $100,797
Year-over-year change: 8.6%
2. New York
Income needed for a single adult: $124,342
Year-over-year change: 8.4%
3. Maine
Income needed for a single adult: $102,918
Year-over-year change: 6.5%
4. California
Income needed for a single adult: $126,797
Year-over-year change: 6.1%
5. Massachusetts
Income needed for a single adult: $127,213
Year-over-year change: 5.9%
6. Minnesota
Income needed for a single adult: $96,970
Year-over-year change: 5.7%
7. Oregon
Income needed for a single adult: $110,074
Year-over-year change: 5.2%
8. Michigan
Income needed for a single adult: $91,811
Year-over-year change: 5.2%
9. Indiana
Income needed for a single adult: $90,646
Year-over-year change: 4.7%
10. New Jersey
Income needed for a single adult: $113,776
Year-over-year change: 4.4%
11. New Mexico
Income needed for a single adult: $91,229
Year-over-year change: 4.4%
12. Wisconsin
Income needed for a single adult: $91,021
Year-over-year change: 4.4%
13. North Dakota
Income needed for a single adult: $85,738
Year-over-year change: 4.2%
14. Vermont
Income needed for a single adult: $103,667
Year-over-year change: 4.1%
15. New Hampshire
Income needed for a single adult: $107,203
Year-over-year change: 4%
16. South Dakota
Income needed for a single adult: $85,405
Year-over-year change: 3.9%
17. Hawai‘i
Income needed for a single adult: $129,002
Year-over-year change: 3.6%
18. Alaska
Income needed for a single adult: $103,917
Year-over-year change: 3.6%
19. Illinois
Income needed for a single adult: $101,587
Year-over-year change: 3.6%
20. Nebraska
Income needed for a single adult: $90,480
Year-over-year change: 3.6%
21. Utah
Income needed for a single adult: $102,794
Year-over-year change: 3.3%
22. Connecticut
Income needed for a single adult: $108,368
Year-over-year change: 3%
23. Ohio
Income needed for a single adult: $87,360
Year-over-year change: 3%
24. Florida
Income needed for a single adult: $100,214
Year-over-year change: 2.9%
25. Rhode Island
Income needed for a single adult: $104,042
Year-over-year change: 2.7%
26. Kansas
Income needed for a single adult: $89,981
Year-over-year change: 2.7%
27. Alabama
Income needed for a single adult: $87,610
Year-over-year change: 2.7%
28. Arkansas
Income needed for a single adult: $83,242
Year-over-year change: 2.7%
29. Oklahoma
Income needed for a single adult: $86,237
Year-over-year change: 2.3%
30. Colorado
Income needed for a single adult: $108,160
Year-over-year change: 2.1%
31. Iowa
Income needed for a single adult: $88,566
Year-over-year change: 1.9%
32. Missouri
Income needed for a single adult: $88,483
Year-over-year change: 1.9%
33. Idaho
Income needed for a single adult: $98,176
Year-over-year change: 1.8%
34. Pennsylvania
Income needed for a single adult: $97,011
Year-over-year change: 1.8%
35. Delaware
Income needed for a single adult: $98,966
Year-over-year change: 1.5%
36. Wyoming
Income needed for a single adult: $89,232
Year-over-year change: 1.5%
37. Nevada
Income needed for a single adult: $100,506
Year-over-year change: 1.3%
38. Georgia
Income needed for a single adult: $100,714
Year-over-year change: 1.1%
39. Washington
Income needed for a single adult: $110,614
Year-over-year change: 0.9%
40. South Carolina
Income needed for a single adult: $92,934
Year-over-year change: 0.9%
41. Kentucky
Income needed for a single adult: $84,074
Year-over-year change: 0.6%
42. West Virginia
Income needed for a single adult: $81,245
Year-over-year change: 0.5%
43. Virginia
Income needed for a single adult: $106,995
Year-over-year change: 0.3%
44. Arizona
Income needed for a single adult: $101,795
Year-over-year change: 0.2%
45. Texas
Income needed for a single adult: $90,563
Year-over-year change: -0.2%
46. North Carolina
Income needed for a single adult: $93,475
Year-over-year change: -0.3%
47. Mississippi
Income needed for a single adult: $86,070
Year-over-year change: -0.3%
48. Louisiana
Income needed for a single adult: $84,739
Year-over-year change: -0.7%
49. Maryland
Income needed for a single adult: $107,910
Year-over-year change: -0.9%
50. Tennessee
Income needed for a single adult: $89,898
Year-over-year change: -1.7%
Methodology
MIT Living Wage Calculator data was used to gather basic cost-of-living estimates for a single adult with no children and for a household with two working adults and two children. MIT last updated the data in February 2026 to reflect the most recent data available; 2025 data was also sourced to calculate year-over-year changes. Estimates were modified using the 50/30/20 budgeting rule for all 50 states by treating the living wage as the amount needed for necessities, or 50% of the total budget. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.
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