Depending on where you live in the United States, the amount you need to make to support a family can vary by a lot. The burden is even greater for single parents.
While a single parent with one child can manage on just over $45,000 a year in Alabama, for example, it takes at least $62,000 a year to make ends meet in California. If the family has two children, those numbers rise to $56,000 and $74,922, respectively.
That’s according to updated data from MIT’s living wage calculator, which determines the minimum amount necessary to meet basic needs without dipping into poverty or relying on outside help. The model takes into account factors such as food, housing, child care and health insurance, in addition to other regular expenses, and doesn’t include conveniences or luxuries such as restaurant meals, vacations or money left over for investments.
Here’s a closer look at what a living wage would be, before taxes, for single parents in every U.S. state.
Alabama
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $45,875
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $56,363
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $71,463
Birmingham, Alabama.
Sean Pavorie | Getty Images
Alaska
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $57,185
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $68,575
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $88,183
Arizona
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $51,089
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $62,903
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $81,797
Arkansas
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $45,182
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $53,376
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $66,292
California
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $62,871
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $74,922
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $97,407
Colorado
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $57,832
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $67,230
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $85,180
Denver, Colorado
Bridget Calip | Getty Images
Connecticut
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $59,759
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $68,548
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $83,180
Delaware
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $54,155
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $62,074
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $76,152
Florida
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $52,517
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $60,757
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $75,320
Georgia
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $50,215
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $57,630
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $70,304
Hawaii
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $57,142
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $62,889
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $81,438
Waikiki, Hawaii.
M. Swiet Productions | Getty Images
Idaho
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $49,394
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $59,635
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $75,678
Illinois
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $54,640
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $64,088
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $78,847
Indiana
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $47,414
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $57,419
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $71,989
Iowa
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $48,571
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $56,255
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $68,865
Kansas
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $48,359
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $55,505
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $67,736
Massachusetts Street and University of Kansas main campus, in downtown Lawrence, Kansas.
Ian Ballinger — Own Work/Wikimedia Commons
Kentucky
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $47,184
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $58,448
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $74,553
Louisiana
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $48,831
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $56,109
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $68,142
Maine
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $50,655
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $60,341
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $75,377
Maryland
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $61,450
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $70,523
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $87,151
Massachusetts
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $61,693
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $70,011
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $84,521
Boston, Massachusetts
Twenty20
Michigan
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $48,454
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $59,223
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $75,096
Minnesota
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $53,348
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $63,179
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $79,567
Mississippi
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $43,828
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $49,401
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $59,466
Missouri
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $48,755
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $57,224
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $70,763
Montana
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $51,194
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $63,113
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $80,868
Butte, Montana
powerofforever | Getty Images
Nebraska
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $49,399
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $58,521
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $72,815
Nevada
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $51,360
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $61,465
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $78,520
New Hampshire
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $53,477
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $61,536
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $75,568
New Jersey
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $59,525
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $70,215
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $87,882
New Mexico
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $51,099
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $60,936
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $76,509
Albuquerque International Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico
sjlayne | E+ | Getty Images
New York
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $62,471
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $82,342
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $109,244
North Carolina
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $49,688
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $57,952
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $71,427
North Dakota
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $48,414
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $57,155
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $71,754
Ohio
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $47,208
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $56,154
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $69,783
Oklahoma
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $48,085
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $58,869
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $74,712
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Davel5957 | E+ | Getty Images
Oregon
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $53,931
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $66,193
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $86,817
Pennsylvania
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $49,200
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $60,095
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $75,700
Rhode Island
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $54,384
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $64,568
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $79,727
South Carolina
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $47,249
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $54,277
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $66,409
South Dakota
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $45,513
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $54,631
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $68,361
A woman stands in front of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, in South Dakota, while carrying her son.
Steve Glass | Aurora Open | Getty Images
Tennessee
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $45,640
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $52,900
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $64,834
Texas
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $48,708
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $56,201
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $69,408
Utah
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $49,494
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $61,357
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $79,837
Vermont
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $53,878
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $62,928
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $78,145
Virginia
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $57,889
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $66,691
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $82,494
Richmond, Virginia
Traveler1116 | E+ | Getty Images
Washington
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $57,070
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $67,001
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $86,084
West Virginia
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $45,342
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $54,734
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $68,289
Wisconsin
- Total required income before taxes with one child: $51,322
- Total required income before taxes with two children: $61,010
- Total required income before taxes with three children: $75,730
Wyoming
This map shows the minimum amount necessary to meet basic needs for a single parent with one child without relying on outside help, including factors such as housing, food, child care and health insurance, in addition to other regular costs. All data from MIT’s Living Wage calculator.
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