Here’s the salary it takes to live comfortably in each US state in 2026
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.
used 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 . 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.
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
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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