How Much You Need To Live Comfortably in Every State

Deciding where you want to live is driven by many factors, from the kind of weather you enjoy to the housing market and general cost of living. If you’re not attached to a particular area, and you have the freedom to go where it makes the most sense for you, it might help to know exactly how much you need to live comfortably in every state.

To determine this, GOBankingRates examined annual living expenses in all 50 states, using the 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The study also calculated the annual cost of essential necessities and used the 50-30-20 budget rule, which allocates 50% to necessities, 30% to discretionary/luxury spending and 20% for savings.

We also found the median household income of each state from the 2021 American Community Survey and compared the difference between the living wage and median income of each state. Here’s how much you need to live “comfortably” in every state.

• Comfortable wage: $56,646
• Median income: $54,943

Alabama ranks No. 1 on this list in that it requires the least amount of money to live comfortably in the 50 states. However, median income is still $1,703 lower than this “comfortable” wage.

• Comfortable wage: $87,663
• Median income: $80,287

Alaska ranks No. 46 on this list. There’s a -$7,376 difference between the comfortable wage and the median income.

• Comfortable wage: $74,418
• Median income: $65,913

Arizona ranks No. 37 on this list. There’s a -$8,505 difference between the comfortable wage and the median income.

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• Comfortable wage: $58,347
• Median income: $52,123

Arkansas ranks No. 4 on this list. Like Alabama, lower wages are required to live comfortably here, but there’s still a -$6,224 difference between the comfortable wage and the median income.

• Comfortable wage: $99,689
• Median income: $84,097

California ranks No. 48 on this list as it is one of the more expensive places to live. Even at a relatively high median income of $84,097, there’s still a sizable -$15,592 difference between the comfortable wage and the median income.

• Comfortable wage: $71,793
• Median income: $80,184

Colorado ranks No. 33 on this list. Colorado is one state where the median income is actually higher than the comfortable wage, with a difference of $8,391.

• Comfortable wage: $77,918
• Median income: $83,572

Connecticut ranks No. 39 on this list. In Connecticut your money goes further, as the median income is higher than the comfortable wage by $5,654.

• Comfortable wage: $71,939
• Median income: $72,724

Delaware ranks No. 34 on this list. In Delaware, the median income is also a wee bit higher than the comfortable wage, by $785.

• Comfortable wage: $71,092
• Median income: $61,777

Florida ranks No. 31 on this list. Floridians see a deficit of $9,315 between their median income and a comfortable wage.

• Comfortable wage: $59,025
• Median income: $65,030

Georgia ranks No. 7 on this list, and the median income is higher than the comfortable wage by $6,005.

• Comfortable wage: $136,089
• Median income: $88,005

Hawaii takes the No. 50 spot on the list as the most expensive state, where the median wage is just not cutting it for the cost of living comfortably. This gap is a whopping -$48,084.

• Comfortable wage: $67,057
• Median income: $63,377

Idaho falls somewhere in the middle of the rankings, at No. 28, with its median income at $3,680 less than a comfortable wage.

• Comfortable wage: $62,545
• Median income: $72,563

Illinois takes the No. 19 spot, with a favorable median income that is $10,018 more than the comfortable wage.

• Comfortable wage: $60,796
• Median income: $61,944

Indiana ranks No. 14 on this list. Here, the median income is also slightly higher than its comfortable wage, by $1,148.

• Comfortable wage: $58,719
• Median income: $65,429

In Iowa, the wage needed to live comfortably is relatively low compared to the other states, putting Iowa’s rank at No. 6. The median income is higher, leaving a $6,710 surplus.

• Comfortable wage: $59,314
• Median income: $64,521

Kansas ranks at No. 8. The wages needed to live comfortably in the state are relatively low and the median income is higher by $5,207.

• Comfortable wage: $59,134
• Median income: $55,454

Despite Kentucky’s median income being lower by $3,680 than the comfortable wage, it still ranks No. 8 on the list for having low overall cost of living.

• Comfortable wage: $62,298
• Median income: $53,571

Louisiana comes in at No. 18 on the list. Though what it requires to live comfortably is relatively low overall, the median income doesn’t quite make it with a $8,727 deficit.

• Comfortable wage: $78,928
• Median income: $63,182

Maine falls at No. 42 on the list, with a fairly significant gap of -$15,746 between the median income and the comfortable wage.

• Comfortable wage: $84,458
• Median income: $91,431

Maryland comes in at No. 44, even though the median income is $6,973 more than the comfortable wage. It’s still more expensive overall than most states.

• Comfortable wage: $107,378
• Median income: $89,026

Massachusetts is second only to Hawaii in high cost of living, ranking No. 49 on the list. Here also, the median income falls $18,352 short of a comfortable living wage.

• Comfortable wage: $61,411
• Median income: $63,202

Michigan ranks at No. 15. Its relatively low cost of living is complemented by a median income that is $1,791 more.

• Comfortable wage: $63,800
• Median income: $77,706

Minnesota ranks at No. 21 on the list. While its comfortable wages are slightly higher than some cities on this list, the median income is a hearty $13,906 more, leaving some wiggle room.

• Comfortable wage: $56,677
• Median income: $49,111

Mississippi takes the No. 2 spot with its low comfortable wage. However, even worse than Alabama, the median income leaves a deficit of -$7,566.

• Comfortable wage: $60,515
• Median income: $61,043

Ranking at No. 11, Missouri has a relatively low cost of living and a median income that just covers the comfortable wage with a $528 surplus.

• Comfortable wage: $71,679
• Median income: $60,560

Montana takes the No. 32 spot for having a relatively high wage needed to live comfortably, and a median income that doesn’t quite meet it — by a deficit of $11,119.

• Comfortable wage: $61,759
• Median income: $66,644

The 16th spot on the list goes to Nebraska, where the median income more than covers the comfortable wage by $4,885.

• Comfortable wage: $72,176
• Median income: $65,686

Nevada lands at the No. 32 spot for a comfortable wage, and the median income is $6,490 less than is needed for this comfortable wage.

• Comfortable wage: $75,787
• Median income: $83,449

While New Hampshire is No. 38 on the list and the wages needed to live comfortably are leaning toward the higher side, the median income here covers it with $7,662 to spare.

• Comfortable wage: $78,822
• Median income: $89,703

New Jersey takes the No. 40 spot, but fortunately it’s another state where the median income more than covers the wages needed to live comfortably by $10,881.

• Comfortable wage: $63,505
• Median income: $54,020

New Mexico takes the No. 20 spot on this list. While the wages needed to live comfortably are relatively low, the median income doesn’t quite catch up, with a deficit of $9,485.

• Comfortable wage: $94,692
• Median income: $75,157

Unsurprisingly, New York is another of the most expensive states on this list, taking the No. 47 spot. Here, a comfortable wage falls $19,535 short of the median income.

• Comfortable wage: $65,512
• Median income: $60,516

North Carolina ranks at No. 24. Though the wages needed to live comfortably are low here, the median income doesn’t quite cover it, with a $4,996 deficit.

• Comfortable wage: $66,700
• Median income: $68,131

North Dakota ranks at No. 27, with moderately low wages needed to live comfortably and a median income that is $1,431 above that wage.

• Comfortable wage: $58,416
• Median income: $61,938

Ohio takes the No. 5 spot on the list for its low wages needed to live comfortably, and a median income that is $3,522 more than those wages.

• Comfortable wage: $57,546
• Median income: $56,956

Oklahoma is No. 3 on the list because it takes less wages to live comfortably here. The median income isn’t far behind, with just a $590 deficit.

• Comfortable wage: $86,417
• Median income: $70,084

Oregon is another one of the more expensive states to live in, taking the No. 45 spot. The median income earner will find themselves $16,333 short of what they need to live comfortably.

• Comfortable wage: $66,318
• Median income: $67,587

Pennsylvania is another middle-of-the-range state, where the income needed to live comfortably isn’t super high, and the median income is $1,269 more than the comfortable wage.

• Comfortable wage: $74,405
• Median income: $74,489

Rhode Island takes the No. 36 spot. Though the wages needed to live comfortably here are relatively high, the median income is enough to live on — by $84.

• Comfortable wage: $64,125
• Median income: $58,234

South Carolina has a relatively low wage needed to live comfortably, but the median income doesn’t quite cover it, by a deficit of $5,891. It ranks at No. 22.

• Comfortable wage: $65,654
• Median income: $63,920

South Dakota ranks No. 25 on this list. The wage needed to live comfortably is relatively low, but the median income doesn’t quite meet the challenge, by a deficit of $1,734.

• Comfortable wage: $60,138
• Median income: $58,516

Tennessee ranks at No. 10 for a low wage needed to live comfortably. The median income doesn’t quite meet the wage needed, though, by -$1,622.

• Comfortable wage: $61,782
• Median income: $67,321

Texas ranks at No. 17 for its low wages needed to live comfortably. Here, too, the median income doesn’t quite meet the wages needed, by a deficit of $5,539.

• Comfortable wage: $68,816
• Median income: $79,133

Utah ranks at No. 29 on this list, for moderately low wages needed to live comfortably, and a median income surplus of $10,317.

• Comfortable wage: $81,611
• Median income: $67,674

Vermont’s rank is 43. Vermont also has a high wage needed to live comfortably and a median income that doesn’t quite meet it, with a deficit of $13,937.

• Comfortable wage: $69,192
• Median income: $80,615

Virginia ranks at No. 30 on this list. Unlike many of the other more pricey states on the list, the median income here more than covers the wage needed to live comfortably by a healthy $11,423.

• Comfortable wage: $78,822
• Median income: $82,400

Washington ranks at No. 41 for a relatively high wage needed to live comfortably. But here, too, the median income is more than the comfortable wage by $3,578.

• Comfortable wage: $60,751
• Median income: $50,884

West Virginia ranks at No. 13 on this list, with a low wage needed to live comfortably, but also a median income that doesn’t meet it by $9,867.

• Comfortable wage: $64,325
• Median income: $67,080

Wisconsin ranks at No. 23, with a low wage needed to live comfortably and a median income that is $2,755 more than that wage.

• Comfortable wage: $60,547
• Median income: $68,002

Wyoming ranks at No. 12 on this list. Not only is the wage to live comfortably low, but the median income more than covers it by $7,455.

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Methodology: GOBankingRates surveyed annual living expenses in all 50 states, using the 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey (latest available) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The itemized costs of living evaluated were housing, groceries, utilities, healthcare and transportation, collectively termed “necessities.” Based on each state’s respective cost of living index for each category, sourced from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s 2022 Q3 Cost of Living Data Series, the study calculated the annual cost of each necessity and summed them up to find total annual expenditure on necessities. Using the 50-30-20 budget rule, which allocates 50% of income for necessities, the study doubled the total annual expenditure on necessities in order to determine the “living wage” in each state. “Living wage” is defined as the income required to be able to cover 50% necessities, 30% discretionary/luxury spending and 20% for savings. GOBankingRates also found the median household income of each state from the 2021 American Community Survey and compared the difference between the living wage and median income of each state. All data was collected on and up to date as of December 14, 2022.