The Essential Living Wage for a Family of Four Across All 50 States

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In 2025, if you're supporting a household with four people, you'll require an annual salary of at least six figures in 26 U.S. states—that’s over half of the country—where earning $100,000 or above will be necessary. budget and comfortably raise a family.

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The App Store Official conducted an analysis of yearly living costs for families consisting of four people throughout the U.S., utilizing information from both the 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics' reports about households including couples with kids. The term "living wage" refers to the earnings needed to meet half of their essential needs, allocate thirty percent towards non-essential expenditures, and save twenty percent. Applying this 50-30-20 financial guideline, they calculated twice the overall annual expense allocated to essentials to ascertain what qualifies as a livable salary for such families within every state.

Here’s the ranking of states based on their lowest to highest required living wages, listed in ascending order: families of four .

1. West Virginia

• Minimum living income required for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $87,607
• Annual cost of housing: $15,670
• Annual cost of groceries: $6,675
• Annual cost of healthcare: $6,949

4. Kansas

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $87,944
• Annual cost of housing: $15,517
• Annual cost of groceries: $6,610
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,141

5. Arkansas

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $88,312
• Annual cost of housing: $16,504
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,030
• Annual cost of healthcare: $6,617

6. Oklahoma

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $90,659
• Annual cost of housing: $16,394
• Annual cost of groceries: $6,984
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,658

7. Iowa

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum livable income for a household of four: $91,669
• Annual cost of housing: $17,250
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,348
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,064

9. Tennessee

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $92,179
• Annual cost of housing: $18,172
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,741
• Annual cost of healthcare: $6,756

10. Kentucky

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $93,349
• Annual cost of housing: $17,075
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,274
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,820

11. Indiana

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $93,544
• Annual cost of housing: $16,965
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,227
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,535

12. Michigan

• Minimum living income required for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum living income required for a household of four: $94,102
• Annual cost of housing: $17,448
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,432
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,820

14. Georgia

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $94,682
• Annual cost of housing: $17,382
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,404
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,550

15. North Dakota

• Minimum living income required for a household of four: $94,752
• Annual cost of housing: $17,514
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,461
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,152

16. Louisiana

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $95,480
• Annual cost of housing: $18,523
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,891
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,342

17. Texas

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum living income required for a household with four people: $96,130
• Annual cost of housing: $18,633
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,937
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,105

19. Minnesota

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $96,640
• Annual cost of housing: $17,623
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,507
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,090

20. Montana

• Minimum living income required for a household with four people: $96,870
• Annual cost of housing: $18,567
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,909
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,450

21. South Carolina

• Minimum living wage required for a household with four people: $98,082
• Annual cost of housing: $18,962
• Annual cost of groceries: $8,078
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,203

22. Pennsylvania

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $98,585
• Annual cost of housing: $18,040
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,685
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,110

24. Ohio

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $99,453
• Annual cost of housing: $19,226
• Annual cost of groceries: $8,190
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,488

25. South Dakota

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $100,000
• Annual cost of housing: $19,686
• Annual cost of groceries: $8,386
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,805

26. Illinois

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $100,332
• Annual cost of housing: $18,479
• Annual cost of groceries: $7,872
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,758

27. Wyoming

• Minimum living income required for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $104,582
• Annual cost of housing: $20,981
• Annual cost of groceries: $8,938
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,044

29. Delaware

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $107,042
• Annual cost of housing: $21,179
• Annual cost of groceries: $9,022
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,828

30. Wisconsin

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $107,324
• Annual cost of housing: $21,618
• Annual cost of groceries: $9,209
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,128

31. Idaho

• Minimum living income required for a household with four people: $107,412
• Annual cost of housing: $21,749
• Annual cost of groceries: $9,265
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,820

32. Virginia

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $112,401
• Annual cost of housing: $23,637
• Annual cost of groceries: $10,069
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,350

34. Colorado

• Minimum livable income for a household of four: $112,828
• Annual cost of housing: $23,615
• Annual cost of groceries: $10,060
• Annual cost of healthcare: $7,982

35. Nevada

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $112,965
• Annual cost of housing: $23,439
• Annual cost of groceries: $9,985
• Annual cost of healthcare: $6,486

36. Rhode Island

• Minimum living income required for a household 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

• Minimum living income required for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum living income required for a household of four: $126,753
• Annual cost of housing: $25,722
• Annual cost of groceries: $10,957
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,661

39. Utah

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $128,484
• Annual cost of housing: $28,465
• Annual cost of groceries: $12,126
• Annual cost of healthcare: $6,925

40. Washington

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $131,024
• Annual cost of housing: $27,807
• Annual cost of groceries: $11,845
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,977

41. Arizona

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $131,102
• Annual cost of housing: $29,848
• Annual cost of groceries: $12,715
• Annual cost of healthcare: $6,918

42. Oregon

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $131,996
• Annual cost of housing: $29,211
• Annual cost of groceries: $12,444
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,738

44. New Jersey

• Minimum wage required for a household with four people: $134,990
• Annual cost of housing: $30,331
• Annual cost of groceries: $12,920
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,229

45. Maine

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $135,943
• Annual cost of housing: $29,804
• Annual cost of groceries: $12,696
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,707

46. Alaska

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $136,990
• Annual cost of housing: $25,854
• Annual cost of groceries: $11,013
• Annual cost of healthcare: $11,290

47. New York

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $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

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $188,269
• Annual cost of housing: $45,891
• Annual cost of groceries: $19,549
• Annual cost of healthcare: $8,213

49. Massachusetts

• Minimum living income required for a household with four people: $199,671
• Annual cost of housing: $49,600
• Annual cost of groceries: $21,129
• Annual cost of healthcare: $10,033

50. Hawaii

• Minimum wage needed for a household with four people: $258,918
• Annual cost of housing: $66,412
• Annual cost of groceries: $28,290
• Annual cost of healthcare: $9,540

Heather Taylor played a role in compiling this report.

The methodology involved assessing yearly living expenditures for families of four across all fifty U.S. states through the utilization of the latest data from the 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, specifically focusing on couples with kids aged between six and seventeen years old. This research examined various categories considered fundamental needs—housing, food purchases, utility bills, medical care, and transport—and aggregated these under the term "essentials." To calculate this, we referred to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center's 2024 third-quarter Cost of Living Data Series for individual expense indices per state within every essential sector. By summing up the computed annual outlays for essentials derived from those figures, an overall estimate of necessary annual spending was established. Following the widely recognized 50-30-20 financial guideline—which advises allocating half one’s earnings toward basic requirements—the researchers multiplied the aggregate figure representing the year-long investment in basics by two so as to ascertain what constitutes a livable salary level for households comprising four individuals in different parts of America. Herein, 'livable wage' signifies sufficient funds needed not only for covering primary demands but also allowing room for thirty percent leisure activities plus twenty percent saved away. Every piece of information gathered adheres strictly to December eleventh, two thousand twenty-four updates.

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