Here’s the salary it takes to live comfortably in each US state in 2026

(SmartAsset) - As housing, grocery, transportation and other essential costs pressure household budgets, earning a six-figure salary no longer guarantees financial comfort in much of the U.S. A single adult now needs at least $80,000 a year to live comfortably in every state, while the threshold exceeds $100,000 in nearly half of states. For a family of four, the income needed to live comfortably is as much as $329,000.SmartAsset used MIT Living Wage Calculator data to analyze the living wage in each state — what a full-time worker must earn to cover minimum basic needs — and adjusted it using the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. Under the rule, 50% of income goes to necessities like housing and utilities, 30% to discretionary spending and 20% to savings for retirement and emergencies. The resulting estimate represents the annual, pre-tax income needed to live comfortably in each state.Key FindingsIn most states, a family of four needs at least $200,000 a year to live comfortably. That thresho