This Is the Living Wage Your Family Needs To Survive in the Midwest

The Midwest has long been considered a great region to raise a family in America, with a largely good quality of life and affordable places to live. In fact, four of the most affordable states to raise two kids are in the Midwest, according to a GOBankingRates study.

You need no more than $92,000 in Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa and Missouri. And only three Midwestern states require six figures for a family of four. That’s in contrast to the rest of the country, where 23 other states mandate a six-figure income for the family.

Check out the living wage needed for a family of four in the Midwest.

• Living wage for a family of four: $100,332
• Annual cost of housing: $18,479
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,872
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,758

• Living wage for a family of four: $93,544
• Annual cost of housing: $16,965
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,227
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,535

• Living wage for a family of four: $91,667
• Annual cost of housing: $16,548
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,049
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,458

• Living wage for a family of four: $87,944
• Annual cost of housing: $15,517
• Annual cost of groceries: $6,610
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,141

• Living wage for a family of four: $93,807
• Annual cost of housing: $17,228
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,339
• Annual cost of healthcare: $6,987

• Living wage for a family of four: $96,640
• Annual cost of housing: $17,623
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,507
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,090

• Living wage for a family of four: $91,669
• Annual cost of housing: $17,250
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,348
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,064

• Living wage for a family of four: $94,102
• Annual cost of housing: $17,448
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,432
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,820

• Living wage for a family of four: $94,752
• Annual cost of housing: $17,514
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,461
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,152

• Living wage for a family of four: $99,453
• Annual cost of housing: $19,226
• Annual cost of groceries: $8,190
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,488

• Living wage for a family of four: $90,659
• Annual cost of housing: $16,394
• Annual cost of groceries: $6,984
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,658

• Living wage for a family of four: $100,000
• Annual cost of housing: $19,686
• Annual cost of groceries: $8,386
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,805

• Living wage for a family of four: $107,324
• Annual cost of housing: $21,618
• Annual cost of groceries: $9,209
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,128

Methodology: GOBankingRates surveyed annual living expenses for a family of four in all 50 states, using the 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey (latest available) data for a married couple with children (oldest child 6-17) 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 2024 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” for a family of four 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. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Dec. 11, 2024.