United States – November 03, 2026 -- A single adult now needs at least $80,000 a year to live comfortably in every US state, and the threshold tops $100,000 in nearly half of them, according to a new SmartAsset analysis. For a family of four, the required income reaches as high as $329,000.

The estimate builds on MIT living wage data and the 50/30/20 rule

SmartAsset started with the MIT Living Wage Calculator, which shows what a full-time worker must earn to cover minimum basic needs. It then adjusted each figure with the 50/30/20 budgeting rule: 50% of income for necessities such as housing and utilities, 30% for discretionary spending and 20% for savings. The result is the annual pre-tax income needed to live comfortably in each state.

MIT last updated its data in February 2026. SmartAsset also used 2025 figures to calculate year-over-year changes. The calculations cover a single adult with no children and a household with two working adults and two children.

Families in 40 states need at least $200,000

Forty states require $200,000 or more for a family of four with two working adults. Massachusetts is the most expensive, at $329,555. Mississippi is the cheapest, at $187,533.

For single adults, Hawai‘i is the priciest state at $129,002. West Virginia is the least expensive at $81,245.

Montana's requirement jumped 8.6% in a year

Montana posted the biggest increase for single adults, with the needed income rising 8.6% since 2025 to $100,797. New York followed at 8.4% ($124,342), then Maine at 6.5% ($102,918). California rose 6.1% to $126,797, and Massachusetts rose 5.9% to $127,213.

Six states saw the needed income fall

The income a single adult needs declined in six states between 2025 and 2026:

• Tennessee: -1.7% (now $89,898)
• Maryland: -0.9% ($107,910)
• Louisiana: -0.7% ($84,739)
• North Carolina: -0.3% ($93,475)
• Mississippi: -0.3% ($86,070)
• Texas: -0.2% ($90,563)

The source data providers are not affiliated with the study and do not endorse or sponsor it.