The Cost of Living Is Out of Control — See How Much You Need to Earn to Keep Up in Your State

The cost of living keeps climbing across the U.S., making it harder for people to cover both essentials and extras. A “comfortable” lifestyle means more than just getting by—it includes housing, food, healthcare, savings, and a bit left for things like hobbies, travel, or emergencies.

One popular way to measure this is the 50/30/20 budget rule, which splits income between needs, wants, and savings. By this standard, single adults now need around $5,844 more than last year to stay comfortable. Families of four need about $9,360 more. Using this rule, SmartAsset figured out the income needed to live comfortably in each state—and how that number has changed.

Here’s a look at where your state stands in ascending order, from the cheapest state to the most expensive state to live comfortably.

50) Mississippi

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $86,320
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $186,618

49) Kentucky

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $83,574
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $192,941

48) Arkansas

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $81,078
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $193,773

47) Alabama

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $85,280
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $194,522

46) West Virginia

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $80,829
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $195,354

45) South Dakota

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $82,160
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $197,933

44) Louisiana

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $85,322
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $199,597

42) Tennessee

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $91,478
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $200,678

42) Kansas

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $87,610
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $200,678

41) Iowa

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $86,902
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $202,675

40) Texas

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $90,771
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $204,922

39) North Dakota

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $82,285
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $207,334

38) Michigan

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $87,235
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $207,584

37) South Carolina

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $92,144
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $208,333

36) Oklahoma

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $84,282
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $208,749

35) Wyoming

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $87,942
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $209,914

34) North Carolina

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $93,766
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $210,746

33) Georgia

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $99,590
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $210,829

32) Nebraska

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $87,318
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $215,738

31) Florida

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $97,386
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $217,651

30) Missouri

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $86,819
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $218,317

29) Indiana

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $86,570
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $220,230

28) Ohio

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $84,781
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $220,563

27) New Mexico

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $87,402
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $220,813

25) Delaware

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $97,469
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $223,142

25) Idaho

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $96,429
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $223,142

24) Wisconsin

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $87,194
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $225,555

23) Utah

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $99,466
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $231,046

22) Illinois

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $98,010
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $234,291

21) Montana

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $92,851
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $234,957

20) Arizona

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $101,587
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $237,952

19) Nevada

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $99,216
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $238,534

18) Maine

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $96,595
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $239,699

17) Virginia

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $106,704
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $241,696

16) Pennsylvania

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $95,306
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $248,435

15) Minnesota

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $91,728
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $251,264

14) Rhode Island

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $101,338
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $256,672

13) Alaska

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $100,298
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $259,002

12) Maryland

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $108,867
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $259,168

11) New Hampshire

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $103,085
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $259,501

10) Oregon

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $104,666
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $261,914

9) Colorado

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $105,955
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $273,728

8) New York

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $114,691
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $276,973

7) Washington

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $109,658
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $277,888

6) New Jersey

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $108,992
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $282,714

5) Vermont

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $99,632
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $286,790

4) California

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $119,475
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $287,456

3) Connecticut

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $105,165
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $290,368

2) Hawaii

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $124,467
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $294,362

1) Massachusetts

• Income needed for a single adult, 2025: $120,141
• Income needed for a four-person family, 2025: $313,747