Living Wage Infographic for a Family of Four by State

Key points from the map

• Hawaii needs the highest living wage for a family of four, about $259,000 a year.
• Massachusetts ($200,000), California ($188,000) and New York ($156,000) follow.
• West Virginia is the lowest at about $82,000, less than a third of the Hawaii figure.
• Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas and Arkansas all come in at about $88,000.
• In 26 states the figure is $100,000 or more (counting from the exact study figures).

The living wage infographic in text

Title: “Living Wage for a Family of Four”. A map of the US states is shaded from pale green ($80K) to near black ($260K), with each state labelled with its abbreviation and value. Callouts point to the lowest (West Virginia) and highest (Hawaii) states. Note on the map: “High taxes, strict land-use rules, and shipping costs make Hawaii the priciest state for families”. Footer: “Source: GOBankingRates, as of December 2024. Costs included housing, groceries, utilities, healthcare, and transportation.” Credit: Visual Capitalist.

The table gives each state’s value as printed on the map (rounded to thousands of dollars a year), with the exact figure from the GOBankingRates study behind it [2]. Washington, D.C. is not shown.

How the living wage was calculated

GOBankingRates started from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey figures for a married couple with children, the oldest aged 6 to 17 [2][3]. It costed five necessities (housing, groceries, utilities, healthcare and transportation) in each state using the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s cost of living index for the third quarter of 2024 [2].

It then applied the 50/30/20 budget rule, which puts 50% of income towards necessities, 30% towards discretionary spending and 20% towards savings. The living wage is therefore double the yearly cost of necessities [2]. All the data was collected on 11 December 2024 [2].

This is a different measure from a minimum wage or a poverty line. Because it doubles the cost of essentials to leave room for spending and savings, it describes a comfortable budget rather than a bare minimum.

What drives the highest and lowest figures

Housing is the biggest single cost in the study. For Hawaii it puts housing at $66,412 a year, groceries at $28,290 and healthcare at $9,540. For West Virginia the figures are $13,454 for housing, $5,731 for groceries and $7,465 for healthcare [2]. Visual Capitalist gives a US average of $121,000 [1].

The map shows a clear regional pattern. The highest figures are in Hawaii, the West Coast, Alaska, the Mountain West states of Utah, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado, and the Northeast. Most of the South and Midwest sit between about $88,000 and $100,000.

Notes on this infographic

• Rounding. Map values are rounded to the nearest thousand. Maryland’s $98,585 appears as $99K, for example.
• Hawaii note. The reasons given for Hawaii’s figure (taxes, land use rules and shipping costs) are Visual Capitalist’s comment. The study itself measures costs, not their causes.
• A budget, not a wage floor. The figures assume half of income goes on necessities, so they are higher than the cost of essentials alone.
• Point in time. The figures are as of December 2024 and will change as prices change.

Questions about the US living wage by state

Which state has the highest living wage for a family of four?

Hawaii, where a family of four needs about $259,000 a year, or $258,918 in the GOBankingRates study [2]. Massachusetts ($200,000), California ($188,000) and New York ($156,000) follow. Housing is the biggest cost, and the study puts Hawaii's housing at $66,412 a year, groceries at $28,290 and healthcare at $9,540 [2].

Which state has the lowest living wage for a family of four?

West Virginia is the lowest, at about $82,000 a year, or $82,338 in the GOBankingRates study [2]. That is less than a third of the Hawaii figure. Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas and Arkansas all come in at about $88,000. The study puts West Virginia's housing at $13,454 a year, groceries at $5,731 and healthcare at $7,465 [2].

How is the living wage for a family of four calculated?

GOBankingRates costed five necessities (housing, groceries, utilities, healthcare and transportation) in each state and then doubled the total [2]. It started from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey figures for a married couple with children and used the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center's cost of living index for the third quarter of 2024 [2][3]. Doubling follows the 50/30/20 budget rule, which puts 50% of income towards necessities [2].

What is the average living wage for a family of four in the US?

Visual Capitalist gives a US average of $121,000 a year for a family of four [1]. In 26 states the figure is $100,000 or more, while most of the South and Midwest sit between about $88,000 and $100,000. Because the measure doubles the cost of essentials to leave room for spending and savings, it describes a comfortable budget rather than a bare minimum. The figures are as of December 2024.

Sources

1. Visual Capitalist, Mapped: The Living Wage for a Family of Four, by State, January 2025.
2. GOBankingRates, Here’s the Living Wage a Family of Four Must Have in Every State.
3. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys, 2023 annual data release.

Last reviewed 30 October 2026