The living wage for a family of four in America’s 50 most populated cities ranges from as low as $32,000 to as high as $136,000. And it is only going to go up as tariffs bump prices on many products and the overall cost of living across the United States.
Perhaps not surprisingly, California cities top the list: San Jose requires around $136,000, San Francisco about $123,000, San Diego $105,000 and Los Angeles $97,000.
Also See: The Living Wage a Family of 4 Needs in All 50 States
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Check out the living wage in California’s nine biggest cities.
Also see the living wage a single person needs in all 50 states.
San Jose
Median household income: $141,565
Living wage: $135,604
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San Francisco
Median household income: $141,446
Living wage: $122,849
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San Diego
Median household income: $104,321
Living wage: $105,204
Los Angeles
Median household income: $80,366
Living wage: $97,110
Long Beach
Median household income: $83,969
Living wage: $88,410
Read More: How Much You Need To Earn To Be Upper Middle Class in Every State
Oakland
Median household income: $97,369
Living wage: $80,277
Sacramento
Median household income: $83,753
Living wage: $57,027
Bakersfield
Median household income: $77,397
Living wage: $51,281
Fresno
Median household income: $68,804
Living wage: $49,384
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates found the “living wage” needed for a family of four to live in the largest 50 cities by population. The “living wage” was defined as the cost of living. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Sperling’s BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the Federal Reserve Economic Data. All data was collected on and is up to date as of April 9, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: This Is the Living Wage Your Family Needs To Survive in California
