The Living Wage a Family of 3 Needs in All 50 States

With the costs of living rising and inflation still casting its devastating spell, Americans are finding it more challenging to get by. Even people making over $100,000 a year can live paycheck to paycheck.

How far your dollar stretches depends on how many people you’re providing for as well as where you reside. Naturally, some states are cheaper than others. 

To shed light on this, GOBankingRates assembled a new study that considers the family of three to be two adults — both working full-time jobs — with one child. Using MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, GOBanking Rates determined the hourly living wage, annual living wage, income after taxes and typical expenses around childcare.

Let’s dig into everything you’ll need to know about the living wage a family of three needs in every state.

• Living wage (hourly): $18.97 
• Living wage (annual): $78,915  
• Annual income after taxes: $68,913
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $8,078

• Living wage (hourly): $23.40 
• Living wage (annual): $97,344   
• Annual income after taxes: $86,645 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $13,238

• Living wage (hourly): $22.50  
• Living wage (annual): $93,600 
• Annual income after taxes: $82,433 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $11,723

• Living wage (hourly): $17.74   
• Living wage (annual): $73,798  
• Annual income after taxes: $65,427
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $7,337

• Living wage (hourly): $26.21    
• Living wage (annual): $109,034 
• Annual income after taxes: $95,258
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $14,433

• Living wage (hourly): $25.13   
• Living wage (annual): $108,784 
• Annual income after taxes: $90,383 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $16,620

• Living wage (hourly): $26.15   
• Living wage (annual): $104,541 
• Annual income after taxes: $93,058 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $19,554

• Living wage (hourly): $22.18 
• Living wage (annual): $92,269 
• Annual income after taxes: $80,201 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $12,579

• Living wage (hourly): $20.81 
• Living wage (annual): $86,570  
• Annual income after taxes: $77,633
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $9,356  

• Living wage (hourly): $20.96 
• Living wage (annual): $87,194  
• Annual income after taxes: $75,772 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $8,868

Read Next: ​​

• Living wage (hourly): $28.39 
• Living wage (annual): $118,102  
• Annual income after taxes: $99,467 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $19,592

• Living wage (hourly): $20.73 
• Living wage (annual): $86,237 
• Annual income after taxes: $75,840 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $15,789 

• Living wage (hourly): $22.12 
• Living wage (annual): $92,019  
• Annual income after taxes: $79,224
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $13,429 

• Living wage (hourly): $20.11 
• Living wage (annual): $83,673 
• Annual income after taxes: $73,458 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $10,693 

• Living wage (hourly): $20.22 
• Living wage (annual): $84,115  
• Annual income after taxes: $73,311 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $11,254 

• Living wage (hourly): $19.29 
• Living wage (annual): $80,246  
• Annual income after taxes: $70,662
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $8,706 

• Living wage (hourly): $18.54 
• Living wage (annual): $77,126  
• Annual income after taxes: $67,302 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $7,715

• Living wage (hourly): $18.52 
• Living wage (annual): $77,043 
• Annual income after taxes: $68,172 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $7,864

• Living wage (hourly): $21.94 
• Living wage (annual): $91,270 
• Annual income after taxes: $79,895 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $11,762 

• Living wage (hourly): $23.11 
• Living wage (annual): $96,138 
• Annual income after taxes: $83,326
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $11,944

• Living wage (hourly): $28.38 
• Living wage (annual): $118,061 
• Annual income after taxes: $100,609 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $21,503

• Living wage (hourly): $20.46 
• Living wage (annual): $85,114 
• Annual income after taxes: $74,376 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $12,182

• Living wage (hourly): $22.76 
• Living wage (annual): $94,682 
• Annual income after taxes: $82,216 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $15,722 

• Living wage (hourly): $17.89 
• Living wage (annual): $74,422 
• Annual income after taxes: $66,053 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $4,725  

• Living wage (hourly): $19.36 
• Living wage (annual): $80,538 
• Annual income after taxes:​​ $71,021
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $9,423 

• Living wage (hourly): $20.16 
• Living wage (annual): $83,866 
• Annual income after taxes:​​ $73,379
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $9,354

• Living wage (hourly): $20.20 
• Living wage (annual): $84,032 
• Annual income after taxes:​​ $74,183 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $11,231

• Living wage (hourly): $22.59  
• Living wage (annual): $93,974 
• Annual income after taxes:​​ $83,844
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $14,968 

• Living wage (hourly): $23.53 
• Living wage (annual): $97,885 
• Annual income after taxes: $87,097
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $13,461

• Living wage (hourly): $24.16 
• Living wage (annual): $100,506 
• Annual income after taxes: $87,999
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $13,674 

• Living wage (hourly): $19.69 
• Living wage (annual): $81,910 
• Annual income after taxes: $72,289 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $9,332 

• Living wage (hourly): $26.07 
• Living wage (annual): $108,451 
• Annual income after taxes: $93,090
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $17,821

• Living wage (hourly): $20.53 
• Living wage (annual): $85,405 
• Annual income after taxes: $74,541 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $10,698  

• Living wage (hourly): $19.35 
• Living wage (annual): $80,496 
• Annual income after taxes: $72,563 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $10,877 

• Living wage (hourly): $19.81 
• Living wage (annual): $82,410 
• Annual income after taxes: $73,018
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $12,175 

• Living wage (hourly): $18.58 
• Living wage (annual): $77,293 
• Annual income after taxes: $68,197
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $8,986

• Living wage (hourly): $24.09 
• Living wage (annual): $100,214 
• Annual income after taxes: $84,519
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $14,000 

• Living wage (hourly): $22.03 
• Living wage (annual): $91,645  
• Annual income after taxes: $79,842
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $12,227 

• Living wage (hourly): $23.75 
• Living wage (annual): $98,800 
• Annual income after taxes: $86,305 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $14,498

• Living wage (hourly): $19.58 
• Living wage (annual): $81,453 
• Annual income after taxes: $72,222 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $9,329 

• Living wage (hourly): $18.92 
• Living wage (annual): $78,707 
• Annual income after taxes: $71,079
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $7,727

• Living wage (hourly): $19.06 
• Living wage (annual): $79,290 
• Annual income after taxes: $71,571 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $8,547

• Living wage (hourly): $19.78 
• Living wage (annual): $82,285 
• Annual income after taxes: $74,066 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $9,400

• Living wage (hourly): $21.19 
• Living wage (annual): $88,150 
• Annual income after taxes: $76,792
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $9,698

• Living wage (hourly): $22.33 
• Living wage (annual): $92,893 
• Annual income after taxes: $85,089 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $13,956 

• Living wage (hourly): $22.33 
• Living wage (annual): $92,893 
• Annual income after taxes: $80,317
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $12,472   

• Living wage (hourly): $24.50 
• Living wage (annual): $101,920 
• Annual income after taxes: $90,467 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $15,463 

• Living wage (hourly): $24.50 
• Living wage (annual): $101,920 
• Annual income after taxes: $90,467 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $8,578

• Living wage (hourly): $20.77 
• Living wage (annual): $86,403 
• Annual income after taxes: $75,791 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $13,395

• Living wage (hourly): $19.86 
• Living wage (annual): $82,618 
• Annual income after taxes: $74,329 
• Typical childcare expenses for 1 child and 2 working adults: $8,461 

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates found the living wage a family of three needs to live in each state. For this study, GOBankingRates considered the family of three to be two adults with full-time working jobs and one child. Using MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, GOBankingRates found the hourly living wage, annual living wage, income before taxes, income after taxes, taxes paid, and typical expenses all sourced from MIT’s Living Wage Calculator. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 11, 2024.