Here’s a rephrased version of the title that aims to capture attention while retaining the core message: “Need Over $120K for Comfortable Living? Cost of Livable Salaries Across All 50 U.S. States Revealed” This version emphasizes the key figure ($120K) and suggests a revelation about living costs across the country, which could pique readers’ interest.

Americans earning a
regular salary
might find it difficult to live comfortably across all 50 states.

Contents: show

The middle-of-the-road yearly salary for people stood slightly under $62,000 by the close of 2024, as reported by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics
. But it takes a salary of at least $80,829 for a single adult to live comfortably in West Virginia, the most affordable state, according to a
recent SmartAsset study
.

SmartAsset characterizes “comfortable” as making sufficient income to cover various expenses.
50/30/20 budget method
This approach suggests allocating half of your earnings towards basic needs such as housing and meals, thirty percent for non-essential expenses, and twenty percent for paying off debts and saving money. The guideline utilized recent data from MIT’s Living Wage Calculator to determine the costs associated with essential items per individual within different states.

On the opposite end of the scale from West Virginia, residents in Hawaii must earn a minimum of $124,467 annually to maintain a comfortable standard of living, according to SmartAsset’s findings. This figure represents the peak requirement among all states, and Hawaii shares this distinction as one of only two states—alongside Massachusetts—where an individual needs to make at least $120,000 per year for such comfort.

This is the amount of money an individual needs to live comfortably across all U.S. states in 2025.

Alabama

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$85,280
Change from 2024:

1.74%

Alaska

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$100,298
Change from 2024:

3.65%

Arizona

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$101,587
Change from 2024:

4.36%

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Arkansas

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$81,078
Change from 2024:

2.04%

California

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$119,475
Change from 2024:

5.12%

Colorado

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$105,955
Change from 2024:

2.58%

Connecticut

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$105,165
Change from 2024:

4.77%

Delaware

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$97,469
Change from 2024:

3.54%

Florida

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$97,386
Change from 2024:

4.37%

Georgia

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$99,590
Change from 2024:

2.79%

Hawaii

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$124,467
Change from 2024:

9.48%

Idaho

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$96,429
Change from 2024:

8.67%

Illinois

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$98,010
Change from 2024:

3.06%

Indiana

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$86,570
Change from 2024:

1.81%

Iowa

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$86,902
Change from 2024:

4.24%

Kansas

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$87,610
Change from 2024:

3.49%

Kentucky

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$83,574
Change from 2024:

3.56%

Louisiana

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$85,322
Change from 2024:

3.48%

Maine

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$96,595
Change from 2024:

5.35%

Maryland

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$108,867
Change from 2024:

5.78%

Massachusetts

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$120,141
Change from 2024:

3.55%

Michigan

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$87,235
Change from 2024:

3.40%

Minnesota

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$91,728
Change from 2024:

2.80%

Mississippi

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$86,320
Change from 2024:

4.32%

Missouri

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$86,819
Change from 2024:

3.32%

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Montana

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$92,851
Change from 2024:

9.57%

Nebraska

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$87,318
Change from 2024:

4.32%

Nevada

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$99,216
Change from 2024:

6.19%

New Hampshire

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$103,085
Change from 2024:

5.09%

New Jersey

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$108,992
Change from 2024:

5.82%

New Mexico

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$87,402
Change from 2024:

4.53%

New York

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$114,691
Change from 2024:

2.64%

North Carolina

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$93,766
Change from 2024:

4.55%

North Dakota

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$82,285
Change from 2024:

2.17%

Ohio

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$84,781
Change from 2024:

5.05%

Oklahoma

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$84,282
Change from 2024:

4.81%

Oregon

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$104,666
Change from 2024:

3.54%

Pennsylvania

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$95,306
Change from 2024:

4.37%

Rhode Island

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$101,338
Change from 2024:

0.50%

South Carolina

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$92,144
Change from 2024:

4.33%

South Dakota

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$82,160
Change from 2024:

0.87%

Tennessee

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$91,478
Change from 2024:

5.87%

Texas

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$90,771
Change from 2024:

4.30%

Utah

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$99,466
Change from 2024:

6.17%

Vermont

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$99,632
Change from 2024:

4.04%

Virginia

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$106,704
Change from 2024:

6.74%

Washington

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$109,658
Change from 2024:

2.97%

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West Virginia

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$80,829
Change from 2024:

2.59%

Wisconsin

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$87,194
Change from 2024:

3.66%

Wyoming

Income required for an individual adult in 2025:

$87,942
Change from 2024:

0.33%

While the 50/30/20 budget can be an effective tool to manage your money, it can also be difficult to follow if you have high fixed costs. And though data suggests wage growth nationwide is actually
outpacing price inflation
, many Americans
don’t feel that way
.

Roughly seven out of every ten Americans experience financial stress, as reported by a study.
/SurveyMonkey online poll
carried out in April. Additionally, President Donald Trump’s tariffs pose a threat.
push prices up
even further.

Boosting your income
by switching jobs or
getting a side hustle
It might sound simpler stated than accomplished, yet it could provide some leeway in your finances, particularly when you have already reduced all non-essential expenses.

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