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.
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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.
1. 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
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2. 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
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3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
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8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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
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13. 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
14. 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
15. 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
16. 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
17. 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
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18. 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
19. 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
20. 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
21. 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
22. 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
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23. 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
24. 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
25. 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
26. 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
27. 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
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28. 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
29. 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
30. 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
31. 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
32. 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
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33. 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
34. 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
35. 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
36. 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
37. 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
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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
39. 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
40. 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
41. 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
42. 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
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43. 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
45. 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
46. 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
47. 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
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48. 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
49. 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
50. 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.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Living Wage a Family of Four Needs in All 50 States
