Rank	State	Family Salary Needed (2025)
1	Massachusetts	$313,747
2	Hawaii	$294,362
3	Connecticut	$290,368
4	California	$287,456
5	Vermont	$286,790
6	New Jersey	$282,714
7	Washington	$277,888
8	New York	$276,973
9	Colorado	$273,728
10	Rhode Island	$256,672

In contrast, the cheapest states for a family of four are:

Rank	State	Family Salary Needed (2025)
50	Mississippi	$186,618
49	Kentucky	$192,941
48	Arkansas	$193,773
47	Alabama	$194,522
46	West Virginia	$195,354
45	South Dakota	$197,933
44	Louisiana	$199,597
43	Tennessee	$200,678
42	Kansas	$200,678
41	Iowa	$202,675

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📊 Full State-by-State Salary Table

👉 For the complete breakdown, SmartAsset provides an interactive visualization of the income needed in all 50 states:

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📈 What’s Driving These Increases?

Several factors have led to the rising income requirements across the country:

• Persistent inflation in housing, healthcare, food, and fuel.

• Stagnant wage growth in many regions, especially for low- and middle-income earners.

• High mortgage and rent costs amid limited housing supply.

• Childcare and education expenses disproportionately affecting families.

These changes have made financial comfort a moving target — and budgeting more important than ever.

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🧠 What This Means for Renters, Homebuyers, and Property Investors

Whether you’re deciding where to relocate, trying to budget for a move, or evaluating the ROI on a turnkey investment property, this data provides a critical benchmark for:

• Cost of living comparisons across states

• Salary negotiation benchmarks

• Planning for retirement or relocation

• Determining real estate affordability by market

For property investors, focussing on regional markets with a relatively low cost of living, stable jobs market, and affordable housing is a great strategy to identify profitable investment opportunities. House prices tend to appreciate where there is demand, and demand for housing is strongest where it is most affordable.

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🧾 Methodology

SmartAsset used MIT’s Living Wage Calculator (updated February 2025) to estimate necessary spending on essential expenses for single adults and families. They then applied the 50/30/20 budgeting rule to determine the total gross income needed for a “comfortable” life.

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💡 Final Thoughts

Living comfortably in America is getting more expensive — and where you live matters more than ever. From the beaches of Hawaii to the hills of West Virginia, income needs can vary by over $40,000 per year.

Use this data to make informed financial decisions, whether you’re choosing where to move, how much to save, or when to invest. And remember, budgeting and planning can make a bigger difference than income alone.

📍Want help understanding how your budget stacks up in your state? Talk to a local real estate expert or financial planner to make sure you’re on the right path.