Americans earning a
regular salary
might find it difficult to live comfortably across all 50 states.
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%
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%
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%
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.
Are you prepared to purchase a home?
Enroll in Make It’s new online course called Take Smarter
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