Here’s the Salary It Takes to Live Comfortably in Each U.S. State – 2025 Study

by Jaclyn DeJohn, CFP, SmartAsset.com, June 4, 2025

As cost of living increases seem to permanently make their way to important budget items, individuals and families increasingly need more income to support a comfortable lifestyle over the long-term. This means being able to afford hobbies, vacations, retirement savings, education funds, and the occasional emergency – in addition to necessities like housing, groceries, transportation and medical expenses. One way to estimate how much income is needed for these collective expenses is the 50/30/20 budget rule. This rule suggests allocating 50% of your income to necessities, 30% to discretionary spending, and 20% to long-term goals like retirement savings or paying off debt.

Given this definition, an individual in any given U.S. state needs about $5,844 more earnings than last year to have a comfortable, sustainable budget, while working families of four need an additional $9,360. With this in mind, SmartAsset examined the salary needed to live comfortably in each state – the pre-tax income needed for necessities, long-term savings and a little extra breathing room – and how it’s changed each year. 

Key Findings

Hawaii is the most expensive state for a single adult to live comfortably. It takes a salary of $124,467 for a single adult to cover needs, wants, long-term savings and income taxes in the Aloha State. This is up 9.48% from just a year ago, when the same level of comfort was estimated to be earned at $113,693.

It costs over $300,000 for a family to live comfortably in Massachusetts. Massachusetts is the most expensive state for working families. A total household income of $313,747 covers the projected short-term and long-term expenses for two adults and two children. The income needed for a single adult to live comfortably is estimated to be at $120,141 this year – second highest nationwide after Hawaii.

Adults in West Virginia need just $80,829 to live comfortably. Singletons in West Virginia need least of any state, maintaining its ranking from last year when a single adult needed $78,790. However, families need the lowest income in Mississippi, where the 2025 household income needed is just $186,618 across two earners ….

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