Advertiser Disclosure

The Average Budget of a Middle-Class Family in Every State

May 14, 2025

6 min Read

Written by Heather Taylor

Edited by Chris Cluff

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.

20 YearsHelping You Live Richer

Reviewed by Experts

Trusted by Millions of Readers

How does what you pay for mortgage, healthcare and grocery costs stack up against the average budget of middle-class families across the rest of the United States?

GOBankingRates analyzed key factors in each state, including the cost-of-living indexes and average expenditure costs for a married couple with children, to calculate average budget costs for middle-class families.

Key Findings

West Virginia ranks as the cheapest state for overall annual expenditure costs for families at $93,445. It is one of only eight states where expenditure costs are under $100,000. The other seven states are Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri and Iowa.
Middle-class families spend more than $8,500 on groceries annually. The three most expensive states for groceries, where costs amount to more than $10,000 annually, are California ($10,121), Alaska ($11,517) and Hawaii ($11,816). Kansas is the cheapest, averaging at $8,590.
Hawaii is the only state that broke the $200,000 threshold for annual costs. These expenses amount to $207,668 for middle-class families.
Healthcare expenses in Hawaii are a whopping $66,933 annually. The cost of healthcare in Alaska, at $11,432, comes in at a distant second place.

Ranked from first to 50th, see what the average middle-class family budget looks like in every state.

Today’s Top Offers

1. West Virginia

Monthly expenditures: $7,787
Annual expenditures: $93,445
Annual groceries: $8,970
Annual healthcare: $7,446
Annual mortgage: $11,291

2. Oklahoma

Monthly expenditures: $7,935
Annual expenditures: $95,223
Annual groceries: $8,644
Annual healthcare: $7,362
Annual mortgage: $14,205

3. Kansas

Monthly expenditures: $8,056
Annual expenditures: $96,667
Annual groceries: $8,590
Annual healthcare: $7,202
Annual mortgage: $15,595

4. Mississippi

Monthly expenditures: $8,139
Annual expenditures: $97,667
Annual groceries: $8,726
Annual healthcare: $7,568
Annual mortgage: $12,242

5. Alabama

Monthly expenditures: $8,148
Annual expenditures: $97,779
Annual groceries: $8,807
Annual healthcare: $6,630
Annual mortgage: $15,393

6. Arkansas

Monthly expenditures: $8,213
Annual expenditures: $98,556
Annual groceries: $8,626
Annual healthcare: $6,531
Annual mortgage: $14,442

7. Missouri

Monthly expenditures: $8,213
Annual expenditures: $98,556
Annual groceries: $8,699
Annual healthcare: $6,996
Annual mortgage: $17,068

8. Iowa

Monthly expenditures: $8,306
Annual expenditures: $99,667
Annual groceries: $8,753
Annual healthcare: $7,301
Annual mortgage: $15,137

9. Michigan

Monthly expenditures: $8,370
Annual expenditures: $100,445
Annual groceries: $8,898
Annual healthcare: $6,806
Annual mortgage: $16,583

10. Indiana

Monthly expenditures: $8,380
Annual expenditures: $100,556
Annual groceries: $8,816
Annual healthcare: $7,415
Annual mortgage: $16,486

11. Tennessee

Monthly expenditures: $8,380
Annual expenditures: $100,556
Annual groceries: $8,798
Annual healthcare: $6,752
Annual mortgage: $22,003

12. Georgia

Monthly expenditures: $8,454
Annual expenditures: $101,445
Annual groceries: $8,816
Annual healthcare: $7,651
Annual mortgage: $22,620

13. North Dakota

Monthly expenditures: $8,509
Annual expenditures: $102,112
Annual groceries: $8,608
Annual healthcare: $8,246
Annual mortgage: $18,606

14. Louisiana

Monthly expenditures: $8,537
Annual expenditures: $102,445
Annual groceries: $8,708
Annual healthcare: $7,362
Annual mortgage: $13,706

15. South Dakota

Monthly expenditures: $8,537
Annual expenditures: $102,445
Annual groceries: $8,834
Annual healthcare: $7,697
Annual mortgage: $20,897

16. Texas

Monthly expenditures: $8,583
Annual expenditures: $103,001
Annual groceries: $8,708
Annual healthcare: $7,202
Annual mortgage: $20,753

17. Kentucky

Monthly expenditures: $8,611
Annual expenditures: $103,334
Annual groceries: $9,043
Annual healthcare: $8,124
Annual mortgage: $14,443

Today’s Top Offers

18. Nebraska

Monthly expenditures: $8,620
Annual expenditures: $103,445
Annual groceries: $8,989
Annual healthcare: $7,621
Annual mortgage: $17,809

19. New Mexico

Monthly expenditures: $8,639
Annual expenditures: $103,667
Annual groceries: $8,735
Annual healthcare: $7,827
Annual mortgage: $20,935

20. Ohio

Monthly expenditures: $8,722
Annual expenditures: $104,668
Annual groceries: $8,961
Annual healthcare: $7,202
Annual mortgage: $15,846

21. Illinois

Monthly expenditures: $8,741
Annual expenditures: $104,890
Annual groceries: $8,889
Annual healthcare: $7,552
Annual mortgage: $18,730

22. Montana

Monthly expenditures: $8,787
Annual expenditures: $105,445
Annual groceries: $9,179
Annual healthcare: $8,101
Annual mortgage: $31,139

23. Minnesota

Monthly expenditures: $8,806
Annual expenditures: $105,668
Annual groceries: $9,251
Annual healthcare: $8,002
Annual mortgage: $23,195

24. Pennsylvania

Monthly expenditures: $8,806
Annual expenditures: $105,668
Annual groceries: $8,989
Annual healthcare: $6,905
Annual mortgage: $18,420

25. Wyoming

Monthly expenditures: $8,843
Annual expenditures: $106,112
Annual groceries: $9,088
Annual healthcare: $7,949
Annual mortgage: $24,163

26. South Carolina

Monthly expenditures: $8,880
Annual expenditures: $106,556
Annual groceries: $8,998
Annual healthcare: $7,088
Annual mortgage: $20,485

27. Wisconsin

Monthly expenditures: $8,982
Annual expenditures: $107,779
Annual groceries: $8,880
Annual healthcare: $8,109
Annual mortgage: $21,269

28. North Carolina

Monthly expenditures: $9,056
Annual expenditures: $108,668
Annual groceries: $8,916
Annual healthcare: $7,979
Annual mortgage: $22,710

29. Virginia

Monthly expenditures: $9,324
Annual expenditures: $111,890
Annual groceries: $9,025
Annual healthcare: $8,002
Annual mortgage: $27,555

Try This:

30. Delaware

Monthly expenditures: $9,333
Annual expenditures: $112,001
Annual groceries: $9,288
Annual healthcare: $7,804
Annual mortgage: $26,325

31. Nevada

Monthly expenditures: $9,380
Annual expenditures: $112,556
Annual groceries: $9,351
Annual healthcare: $6,638
Annual mortgage: $31,719

32. Colorado

Monthly expenditures: $9,445
Annual expenditures: $113,334
Annual groceries: $9,124
Annual healthcare: $7,949
Annual mortgage: $38,255

33. Idaho

Monthly expenditures: $9,445
Annual expenditures: $113,334
Annual groceries: $9,387
Annual healthcare: $7,507
Annual mortgage: $31,288

34. Florida

Monthly expenditures: $9,519
Annual expenditures: $114,223
Annual groceries: $9,532
Annual healthcare: $7,545
Annual mortgage: $28,016

35. Utah

Monthly expenditures: $9,713
Annual expenditures: $116,556
Annual groceries: $8,853
Annual healthcare: $6,737
Annual mortgage: $36,543

Today’s Top Offers

36. Arizona

Monthly expenditures: $10,324
Annual expenditures: $123,890
Annual groceries: $9,161
Annual healthcare: $7,065
Annual mortgages: $30,011

37. Oregon

Monthly expenditures: $10,370
Annual expenditures: $124,445
Annual groceries: $9,623
Annual healthcare: $8,360
Annual mortgage: $34,509

38. Maine

Monthly expenditures: $10,380
Annual expenditures: $124,557
Annual groceries: $9,197
Annual healthcare: $8,665
Annual mortgage: $26,817

39. Rhode Island

Monthly expenditures: $10,389
Annual expenditures: $124,668
Annual groceries: $9,233
Annual healthcare: $7,972
Annual mortgage: $32,826

40. Connecticut

Monthly expenditures: $10,398
Annual expenditures: $124,779
Annual groceries: $9,297
Annual healthcare: $8,375
Annual mortgage: $29,737

41. New Hampshire

Monthly expenditures: $10,426
Annual expenditures: $125,112
Annual groceries: $9,052
Annual healthcare: $7,933
Annual mortgage: $34,308

42. Washington

Monthly expenditures: $10,574
Annual expenditures: $126,890
Annual groceries: $9,568
Annual healthcare: $9,000
Annual mortgage: $41,785

43. Vermont

Monthly expenditures: $10,593
Annual expenditures: $127,112
Annual groceries: $9,623
Annual healthcare: $8,490
Annual mortgage: $26,868

44. New Jersey

Monthly expenditures: $10,611
Annual expenditures: $127,334
Annual groceries: $9,442
Annual healthcare: $8,193
Annual mortgage: $38,617

45. Maryland

Monthly expenditures: $10,676
Annual expenditures: $128,112
Annual groceries: $9,704
Annual healthcare: $7,690
Annual mortgage: $29,765

46. New York

Monthly expenditures: $11,417
Annual expenditures: $137,001
Annual groceries: $9,414
Annual healthcare: $8,299
Annual mortgage: $31,505

47. Alaska

Monthly expenditures: $11,463
Annual expenditures: $137,557
Annual groceries: $11,517
Annual healthcare: $11,432
Annual mortgage: $26,266

48. California

Monthly expenditures: $13,408
Annual expenditures: $160,890
Annual groceries: $10,121
Annual healthcare: $8,208
Annual mortgage: $54,877

49. Massachusetts

Monthly expenditures: $13,509
Annual expenditures: $162,112
Annual groceries: $9,460
Annual healthcare: $9,580
Annual mortgage: $44,434

50. Hawaii

Monthly expenditures: $17,306
Annual expenditures: $207,668
Annual groceries: $11,816
Annual healthcare: $66,933
Annual mortgage: $17,306

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed each state to find the average cost for a middle-class family. First, GOBankingRates found the cost-of-living indexes for each state from the Missouri Economic and Research Information Center. The total population, total households, and household median income were sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Using the cost-of-living indexes and the average expenditure costs for a married couple with children, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure costs were calculated. Using data from Zillow Home Value Index and the Federal Reserve, the average mortgage was calculated. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Mar. 10, 2025.

More From GOBankingRates