The Living Wage a Family of Four Needs in All 50 States Dawn AllcotSeptember 10, 2025 at 7:18 AM 1 pixdeluxe / Getty Images If you're raising a family of four in 2025, you'll need a sixfigure income in 26 states.
- - The Living Wage a Family of Four Needs in All 50 States
Dawn AllcotSeptember 10, 2025 at 7:18 AM
1
pixdeluxe / Getty Images
If you're raising a family of four in 2025, you'll need a six-figure income in 26 states. That's more than half of America where you'll need to earn $100,000 or more annually to budget for and comfortably raise a family.
Check Out: Here's the Minimum Salary Required To Be Considered Upper-Middle Class in 2025
Learn More: 6 Subtly Genius Moves All Wealthy People Make With Their Money
GOBankingRates surveyed annual living expenses for a family of four across the United States using data from the 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey and for a married couple with children from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Living wage" is defined as the income required to cover 50% necessities, 30% discretionary spending and 20% for savings. Using the 50-30-20 budget rule, the study doubled the total annual expenditure on necessities to determine the "living wage" for a family of four in each state.
Ranked in order from states from the lowest to highest earnings, here's how much living wage is necessary for families of four.
ablokhin / iStock.com1. West Virginia -
Living wage for a family of four: $82,338
Annual cost of housing: $13,454
Annual cost of groceries: $5,731
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,465
Also See: 9 Things the Middle Class Should Consider Downsizing To Save on Monthly Expenses
Discover More: How Much You Need To Earn To Be Upper Middle Class in Every State
Trending Now: Suze Orman's Secret to a Wealthy Retirement--Have You Made This Money Move?
graphiknation / iStock.com2. Mississippi -
Living wage for a family of four: $87,564
Annual cost of housing: $15,846
Annual cost of groceries: $6,750
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,373
Explore More: Here's the Minimum Salary Required To Be Considered Upper Class in 2025
Michael Warren / Getty Images3. Alabama -
Living wage for a family of four: $87,607
Annual cost of housing: $15,670
Annual cost of groceries: $6,675
Annual cost of healthcare: $6,949
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto4. Kansas -
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
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto5. Arkansas -
Living wage for a family of four: $88,312
Annual cost of housing: $16,504
Annual cost of groceries: $7,030
Annual cost of healthcare: $6,617
traveler1116 / Getty Images/iStockphoto6. Oklahoma -
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
Wirestock / Getty Images/iStockphoto7. Iowa -
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
Find Out: Warren Buffett's Top 4 Tips for Getting Richer
peeterv / Getty Images8. Missouri -
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
Wirestock / Getty Images9. Tennessee -
Living wage for a family of four: $92,179
Annual cost of housing: $18,172
Annual cost of groceries: $7,741
Annual cost of healthcare: $6,756
iStock / iStock.com10. Kentucky -
Living wage for a family of four: $93,349
Annual cost of housing: $17,075
Annual cost of groceries: $7,274
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,820
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto11. Indiana -
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
Jonathon Post / iStock.com12. Michigan -
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
See More: What Is the Estimated Median Income for the Upper-Middle Class in 2025?
marekuliasz / iStock.com13. Nebraska -
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
Sean Pavone / iStock.com14. Georgia -
Living wage for a family of four: $94,682
Annual cost of housing: $17,382
Annual cost of groceries: $7,404
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,550
YinYang / Getty Images15. North Dakota -
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
Larry Gibson / iStock.com16. Louisiana -
Living wage for a family of four: $95,480
Annual cost of housing: $18,523
Annual cost of groceries: $7,891
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,342
Pgiam / iStock.com17. Texas -
Living wage for a family of four: $95,763
Annual cost of housing: $17,843
Annual cost of groceries: $7,601
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,319
Read More: What Salary Single People Need To Live Comfortably in 100 Major US Cities
benedek / Getty Images/iStockphoto18. New Mexico -
Living wage for a family of four: $96,130
Annual cost of housing: $18,633
Annual cost of groceries: $7,937
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,105
Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images19. Minnesota -
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
leezsnow / Getty Images/iStockphoto20. Montana -
Living wage for a family of four: $96,870
Annual cost of housing: $18,567
Annual cost of groceries: $7,909
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,450
digidreamgrafix / Getty Images/iStockphoto21. South Carolina -
Living wage for a family of four: $98,082
Annual cost of housing: $18,962
Annual cost of groceries: $8,078
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,203
Althom / Getty Images22. Pennsylvania -
Living wage for a family of four: $98,427
Annual cost of housing: $18,326
Annual cost of groceries: $7,806
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,072
Read Next: The Salary Needed To Afford America's 50 Biggest Cities
sborisov / Getty Images/iStockphoto23. Maryland -
Living wage for a family of four: $98,585
Annual cost of housing: $18,040
Annual cost of groceries: $7,685
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,110
fotoguy22 / Getty Images/iStockphoto24. Ohio -
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
pabradyphoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto25. South Dakota -
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
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto26. Illinois -
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
stockphoto52 / Getty Images/iStockphoto27. Wyoming -
Living wage for a family of four: $100,750
Annual cost of housing: $19,774
Annual cost of groceries: $8,423
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,751
Find More: Here's How Much the Definition of Middle Class Has Changed in the South
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto28. North Carolina -
Living wage for a family of four: $104,582
Annual cost of housing: $20,981
Annual cost of groceries: $8,938
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,044
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images29. Delaware -
Living wage for a family of four: $107,042
Annual cost of housing: $21,179
Annual cost of groceries: $9,022
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,828
Jon Mattrisch / Getty Images/iStockphoto30. Wisconsin -
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
iStock / iStock31. Idaho -
Living wage for a family of four: $107,412
Annual cost of housing: $21,749
Annual cost of groceries: $9,265
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,820
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images32. Virginia -
Living wage for a family of four: $111,303
Annual cost of housing: $22,781
Annual cost of groceries: $9,704
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,198
Explore Next: How Paychecks Would Look in Each State If Trump Dropped Federal Income Tax
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto33. Florida -
Living wage for a family of four: $112,401
Annual cost of housing: $23,637
Annual cost of groceries: $10,069
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,350
Jim Glab / iStock.com34. Colorado -
Living wage for a family of four: $112,828
Annual cost of housing: $23,615
Annual cost of groceries: $10,060
Annual cost of healthcare: $7,982
Matt Tavares / Getty Images/iStockphoto35. Nevada -
Living wage for a family of four: $112,965
Annual cost of housing: $23,439
Annual cost of groceries: $9,985
Annual cost of healthcare: $6,486
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto36. Rhode Island -
Living wage for a family of four: $123,298
Annual cost of housing: $25,107
Annual cost of groceries: $10,695
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,260
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto37. New Hampshire -
Living wage for a family of four: $123,863
Annual cost of housing: $25,502
Annual cost of groceries: $10,864
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,506
For You: Here's How Much Your State Collects on Every Type of Tax
38. Connecticut -
Living wage for a family of four: $126,753
Annual cost of housing: $25,722
Annual cost of groceries: $10,957
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,661
miroslav_1 / Getty Images/iStockphoto39. Utah -
Living wage for a family of four: $128,484
Annual cost of housing: $28,465
Annual cost of groceries: $12,126
Annual cost of healthcare: $6,925
iStock / iStock.com40. Washington -
Living wage for a family of four: $131,024
Annual cost of housing: $27,807
Annual cost of groceries: $11,845
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,977
miroslav_1 / iStock.com41. Arizona -
Living wage for a family of four: $131,102
Annual cost of housing: $29,848
Annual cost of groceries: $12,715
Annual cost of healthcare: $6,918
Shunyu Fan / Getty Images/iStockphoto42. Oregon -
Living wage for a family of four: $131,824
Annual cost of housing: $28,904
Annual cost of groceries: $12,313
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,637
Trending Now: Here's the Cost of Living in Every State
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com43. Vermont -
Living wage for a family of four: $131,996
Annual cost of housing: $29,211
Annual cost of groceries: $12,444
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,738
44. New Jersey -
Living wage for a family of four: $134,990
Annual cost of housing: $30,331
Annual cost of groceries: $12,920
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,229
peeterv / Getty Images45. Maine -
Living wage for a family of four: $135,943
Annual cost of housing: $29,804
Annual cost of groceries: $12,696
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,707
mscornelius / Getty Images/iStockphoto46. Alaska -
Living wage for a family of four: $136,990
Annual cost of housing: $25,854
Annual cost of groceries: $11,013
Annual cost of healthcare: $11,290
nimu1956 / Getty Images47. New York -
Living wage for a family of four: $155,738
Annual cost of housing: $37,354
Annual cost of groceries: $15,912
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,607
Discover More: Here's How Much You Need To Earn To Be 'Rich' in Every State
Art Wager / Getty Images48. California -
Living wage for a family of four: $188,269
Annual cost of housing: $45,891
Annual cost of groceries: $19,549
Annual cost of healthcare: $8,213
iStock / iStock.com49. Massachusetts -
Living wage for a family of four: $199,671
Annual cost of housing: $49,600
Annual cost of groceries: $21,129
Annual cost of healthcare: $10,033
BackyardProduction / Getty Images50. Hawaii -
Living wage for a family of four: $258,918
Annual cost of housing: $66,412
Annual cost of groceries: $28,290
Annual cost of healthcare: $9,540
Heather Taylor contributed to the reporting for this piece.
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.
More From GOBankingRates
5 Old Navy Items Retirees Need To Buy Ahead of Fall
I Paid Off $40,000 in 7 Months Doing These 5 Things
How Middle-Class Earners Are Quietly Becoming Millionaires -- and How You Can, Too
7 Wealth-Building Shortcuts Proven To Add $1K to Your Wallet This Month
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Living Wage a Family of Four Needs in All 50 States
Source: "AOL Money"
Source: DEVI MAG
Read More >> Full Article on Source: DEVI MAG
#LALifestyle #USCelebrities
Post a Comment