The salary a single person needs to live comfortably in every U.S. state (2024)

FAQs

How much does a single person need to make to live comfortably by state? ›

The national median for living comfortably alone is $89,461, which suggests that a 50/30/20 budget might not be practical for most single people.

How much does the average American make a year? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the average U.S. annual salary in Q4 of 2023 was $59,384. This is up 5.4% from the same time period in 2022 when the average American was making $56,316 per year.

According to the report, single adults need about $88,317 to live comfortably and families of four need $200,762.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the national average salary in 2021 was $58,260. Although wages above the average could be seen as a good salary, there are no hard and fast rules regarding how to determine a good salary since there are many factors involved.

According to research from MIT, the living wage in the United States was $25.02 per hour ($104,077.70 per year) before taxes per year in 2022 for a family of four (two working adults with two children). That's an increase from $24.16 ($100,498.60 per year) in 2021.

Well, what makes a good salary depends on you, your needs, and your values. But for most folks, a good salary is one you can live on comfortably, meaning your basic needs, like food, utilities, housing, transportation and clothes, are taken care of each month without going into debt.

Average Monthly Expenses for One Person

Average monthly expenses in 2022 for one person were $3,693, or $44,312 annually. This represented an 8.5% increase, or $287.75 per month, from 2021. In 2021, the average monthly expenses for a single individual totaled $3,405.

According to the same research, those in the top 5% earned an average of $335,891 in 2021.

If you make at least $173,000 at age 30, you re considered rich. At age 35, if you make at least $291,000 you are considered rich. And if you make at least $388,000 a year at age 40, you are also considered rich.

What income is middle class for a single person? ›

You also need an annual household salary of at least $50,000 to be considered middle class in 17 other states, including California, New York, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Hawaii. In California, the difference is $122,000, from a salary of $61,028 on the lower end to $183,102 on the upper end.

The average monthly expenses for a single person will depend quite a bit on where you live, and if you're living alone for the first time, you might be surprised that most things cost more, not just your rent. The national average expenses for a single person living alone are around $3,500 per month.

The increase from the 2022 Living Wage Rate of $17.70/hr, to the 2023 rate of $20.10/hr, to the new 2024 rate of $22.10/hr reflects the significant increase in the cost of housing in our community. In 2023, Just Economics also introduced a new path for employers who wish to become Living Wage Certified.

An individual needs $96,500, on average, to live comfortably in a major U.S. city. That figure is even higher for families, who need to earn an average combined income of about $235,000 to support two adults and two children.

A widely used federal guideline defines low income as $14,580 annually for one person and $30,000 for a family of four.

An analysis of the living wage (as calculated in December 2022 and reflecting a compensation being offered to an individual in 2023), compiling geographically specific expenditure data for food, childcare, health care, housing, transportation, and other necessities, finds that: The living wage in the United States is ...

What is the average cost of living in the US? The average cost of living in the United States is estimated to be between $2,500 and $3,500 per month, depending on your location and lifestyle. This includes housing, food, transportation, health care, taxes, and other expenses.

SmartAsset says a single working adult must earn at least $114,000, or about $55 an hour, to support themselves in the Golden State. When it comes to a basic “living wage,” MIT says a single adult in California needs to earn $27.32 per hour or $56,800 per year.

A decent salary — one that allows for necessities, fun, and savings — might start around $69,000 for a single, childless person in Florida and $94,500 for a couple.