If you’re thinking of living on your own, you’ll need to make about $45,000 per year in most states just to get by.
That’s roughly the median income needed to cover basic expenses, according to a new analysis by SmartAsset, which looked at estimates for housing, transportation, health care, taxes and other common expenses, as tracked by the MIT Living Wage calculator.
However, the amount of money you need to make ends meet can vary significantly depending on where you live. That is largely due to housing prices and taxes, which vary the most out of the basic expenses examined. In states such as Massachusetts, California and Hawaii, estimated housing costs are more than double that of states with the lowest basic cost of living.
Here is a look at five states where single individuals need to earn the most to cover basic expenses:
- Massachusetts: $58,009
- Hawaii: $56,841
- California: $56,825
- New York: $55,878
- Washington: $53,242
Keep in mind that these calculations only account for necessities and do not include discretionary spending such as travel or entertainment, or investment contributions.
You would need to earn about $28 per hour over a 40-hour work week to bring in the $58,009 annual income required to get by in Massachusetts. In contrast, you would only need to earn about $19 per hour in West Virginia, which has the lowest annual income needed to get by at $39,386.
However, in many states, the minimum wage is still only $7.25 per hour. That is just about a third of what people need to get by in most states. To cover basic expenses, minimum wage workers are often reliant on tips, or are forced to cut costs in other ways. Even in states where the minimum wage is higher than $7.25, it is often still not commensurate with the estimated living wage.
Here is a look at the minimum income a single person needs to get by in every U.S. state.
Alabama
- Annual living wage for a single person: $41,911
Alaska
- Annual living wage for a single person: $48,375
Arizona
- Annual living wage for a single person: $48,677
Arkansas
- Annual living wage for a single person: $39,724
California
- Annual living wage for a single person: $56,825
Colorado
- Annual living wage for a single person: $51,644
Connecticut
- Annual living wage for a single person: $50,194
Delaware
- Annual living wage for a single person: $47,064
Florida
- Annual living wage for a single person: $46,645
Georgia
- Annual living wage for a single person: $48,448
Hawaii
- Annual living wage for a single person: $56,841
Idaho
- Annual living wage for a single person: $44,366
Illinois
- Annual living wage for a single person: $47,559
Indiana
- Annual living wage for a single person: $42,510
Iowa
- Annual living wage for a single person: $41,678
Kansas
- Annual living wage for a single person: $42,337
Kentucky
- Annual living wage for a single person: $40,355
Louisiana
- Annual living wage for a single person: $41,233
Maine
- Annual living wage for a single person: $45,844
Maryland
- Annual living wage for a single person: $51,460
Massachusetts
- Annual living wage for a single person: $58,009
Michigan
- Annual living wage for a single person: $42,187
Minnesota
- Annual living wage for a single person: $44,626
Mississippi
- Annual living wage for a single person: $41,361
Missouri
- Annual living wage for a single person: $42,024
Montana
- Annual living wage for a single person: $42,374
Nebraska
- Annual living wage for a single person: $41,849
Nevada
- Annual living wage for a single person: $46,727
New Hampshire
- Annual living wage for a single person: $49,045
New Jersey
- Annual living wage for a single person: $51,504
New Mexico
- Annual living wage for a single person: $41,807
New York
- Annual living wage for a single person: $55,878
North Carolina
- Annual living wage for a single person: $44,848
North Dakota
- Annual living wage for a single person: $40,262
Ohio
- Annual living wage for a single person: $40,359
Oklahoma
- Annual living wage for a single person: $40,211
Oregon
- Annual living wage for a single person: $50,553
Pennsylvania
- Annual living wage for a single person: $45,661
Rhode Island
- Annual living wage for a single person: $50,418
South Carolina
- Annual living wage for a single person: $44,152
South Dakota
- Annual living wage for a single person: $40,718
Tennessee
- Annual living wage for a single person: $43,196
Texas
- Annual living wage for a single person: $43,508
Utah
- Annual living wage for a single person: $46,850
Vermont
- Annual living wage for a single person: $47,892
Virginia
- Annual living wage for a single person: $49,973
Washington
- Annual living wage for a single person: $53,242
West Virginia
- Annual living wage for a single person: $39,386
Wisconsin
- Annual living wage for a single person: $42,062
Wyoming
- Annual living wage for a single person: $43,823
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