Livable Wage by State

Map

Table

Introduction

A livable wage is the amount of income required to cover living expenses and basic needs without relying on loans or other forms of external financial assistance. It is different from the minimum wage, as that determines how much a person needs to earn to stay out of poverty and is the legal minimum an employer is required to pay to their workers. 

While the minimum wage is determined by state or federal laws, the living wage is determined by the costs of living in an area, i.e. costs such as the price of food, shelter, water, transport, insurance, childcare, and security. Luxuries such as vacations, extra expenses, and savings are not included. Therefore, if a state has a particularly high living wage, it is a state that is expensive to live in. 

If you would like to learn more about the differences in living wages across the U.S, please refer to the data in the charts 

#StateLivable WageMinimum WageMedian Household Income
1District of Columbia$23.13$10.5$90,640
2Hawaii$21.99$10.1$82,199
3New York$21.99$13.2$72,920
4Massachusetts$21.88$14.25$86,566
5California$21.82$14$81,575
6New Jersey$20.57$13$88,559
7Maryland$19.74$12.5$97,332
8Oregon$19.51$13.5$81,855
9Virginia$19.4$11$80,268
10Colorado$19.16$12.56$84,954
11Connecticut$19$14$80,958
12Washington$18.54$14.49$87,648
13Illinois$18.16$12$79,253
14Maine$17.88$12.75$71,139
15Vermont$17.81$12.55$76,079
16Rhode Island$17.8$12.25$74,982
17Delaware$17.74$15.2$68,687
18Minnesota$17.74$10.33$80,441
19Georgia$17.64$7.25$61,497
20South Carolina$17.47$7.25$62,542
21Arizona$17.43$12.8$70,821
22New Hampshire$17.32$7.25$88,841
23Florida$17.24$10$59,734
24North Carolina$17.14$7.25$62,891
25Utah$16.98$7.25$87,649
26Alaska$16.72$10.34$81,133
27Pennsylvania$16.67$7.25$72,627
28Nebraska$16.6$9$78,109
29Texas$16.41$7.25$67,404
30Wisconsin$16.4$7.25$69,943
31Kansas$16.38$7.25$75,979
32Michigan$16.36$9.87$64,488
33Montana$16.32$9.2$64,999
34Missouri$16.29$11.15$63,594
35New Mexico$16.25$11.5$53,463
36Nevada$16.24$10.5$64,340
37Iowa$16.18$7.25$72,429
38Idaho$16.16$7.25$76,918
39Louisiana$16.15$7.25$57,206
40Alabama$15.91$7.25$56,929
41Indiana$15.79$7.25$70,190
42Oklahoma$15.75$7.25$60,096
43Mississippi$15.66$7.25$46,637
44Ohio$15.61$9.3$62,689
45Arkansas$15.55$11$50,784
46Kentucky$15.46$7.25$55,629
47Tennessee$15.45$7.25$62,166
48West Virginia$15.45$8.75$46,836
49North Dakota$15.37$7.25$68,882
50Wyoming$15.25$7.25$71,052
51South Dakota$14.85$9.95$73,893

Livable Wage by State

Alabama

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$15.91

Ranked in the US

#40

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#32

Ranked in the US

#46

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Alaska

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$16.72

Ranked in the US

#26

$10.34

Ranked in the US

#22

Ranked in the US

#12

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Arizona

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$17.43

Ranked in the US

#21

$12.8

Ranked in the US

#9

Ranked in the US

#28

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Arkansas

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$15.55

Ranked in the US

#45

Ranked in the US

#18

Ranked in the US

#49

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

California

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$21.82

Ranked in the US

#5

Ranked in the US

#4

Ranked in the US

#11

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Colorado

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$19.16

Ranked in the US

#10

$12.56

Ranked in the US

#11

Ranked in the US

#8

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Connecticut

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$19

Ranked in the US

#11

Ranked in the US

#5

Ranked in the US

#13

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Delaware

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$17.74

Ranked in the US

#17

$15.2

Ranked in the US

#1

Ranked in the US

#32

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

District of Columbia

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$23.13

Ranked in the US

#1

$10.5

Ranked in the US

#20

Ranked in the US

#2

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Florida

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$17.24

Ranked in the US

#23

Ranked in the US

#25

Ranked in the US

#44

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Georgia

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$17.64

Ranked in the US

#19

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#33

Ranked in the US

#42

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Hawaii

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$21.99

Ranked in the US

#2

$10.1

Ranked in the US

#24

Ranked in the US

#9

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Idaho

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$16.16

Ranked in the US

#38

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#34

Ranked in the US

#18

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Illinois

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$18.16

Ranked in the US

#13

Ranked in the US

#15

Ranked in the US

#16

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Indiana

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$15.79

Ranked in the US

#41

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#35

Ranked in the US

#29

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Iowa

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$16.18

Ranked in the US

#37

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#36

Ranked in the US

#25

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Kansas

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$16.38

Ranked in the US

#31

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#37

Ranked in the US

#20

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Kentucky

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$15.46

Ranked in the US

#46

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#38

Ranked in the US

#47

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Louisiana

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$16.15

Ranked in the US

#39

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#39

Ranked in the US

#45

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Maine

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$17.88

Ranked in the US

#14

$12.75

Ranked in the US

#10

Ranked in the US

#26

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Maryland

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$19.74

Ranked in the US

#7

$12.5

Ranked in the US

#13

Ranked in the US

#1

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Massachusetts

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$21.88

Ranked in the US

#4

$14.25

Ranked in the US

#3

Ranked in the US

#7

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Michigan

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$16.36

Ranked in the US

#32

$9.87

Ranked in the US

#27

Ranked in the US

#35

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Minnesota

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$17.74

Ranked in the US

#18

$10.33

Ranked in the US

#23

Ranked in the US

#14

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Mississippi

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$15.66

Ranked in the US

#43

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#40

Ranked in the US

#51

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Missouri

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$16.29

Ranked in the US

#34

$11.15

Ranked in the US

#17

Ranked in the US

#37

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Montana

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$16.32

Ranked in the US

#33

$9.2

Ranked in the US

#29

Ranked in the US

#34

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Nebraska

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$16.6

Ranked in the US

#28

Ranked in the US

#30

Ranked in the US

#17

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Nevada

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$16.24

Ranked in the US

#36

$10.5

Ranked in the US

#21

Ranked in the US

#36

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

New Hampshire

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$17.32

Ranked in the US

#22

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#41

Ranked in the US

#3

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

New Jersey

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$20.57

Ranked in the US

#6

Ranked in the US

#8

Ranked in the US

#4

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

New Mexico

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$16.25

Ranked in the US

#35

$11.5

Ranked in the US

#16

Ranked in the US

#48

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

New York

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$21.99

Ranked in the US

#3

$13.2

Ranked in the US

#7

Ranked in the US

#23

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

North Carolina

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$17.14

Ranked in the US

#24

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#42

Ranked in the US

#38

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

North Dakota

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$15.37

Ranked in the US

#49

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#43

Ranked in the US

#31

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Ohio

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$15.61

Ranked in the US

#44

$9.3

Ranked in the US

#28

Ranked in the US

#39

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Oklahoma

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$15.75

Ranked in the US

#42

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#44

Ranked in the US

#43

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Oregon

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$19.51

Ranked in the US

#8

$13.5

Ranked in the US

#6

Ranked in the US

#10

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Pennsylvania

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$16.67

Ranked in the US

#27

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#45

Ranked in the US

#24

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Rhode Island

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$17.8

Ranked in the US

#16

$12.25

Ranked in the US

#14

Ranked in the US

#21

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

South Carolina

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$17.47

Ranked in the US

#20

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#46

Ranked in the US

#40

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

South Dakota

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$14.85

Ranked in the US

#51

$9.95

Ranked in the US

#26

Ranked in the US

#22

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Tennessee

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$15.45

Ranked in the US

#47

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#47

Ranked in the US

#41

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Texas

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$16.41

Ranked in the US

#29

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#48

Ranked in the US

#33

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Utah

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$16.98

Ranked in the US

#25

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#49

Ranked in the US

#5

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Vermont

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$17.81

Ranked in the US

#15

$12.55

Ranked in the US

#12

Ranked in the US

#19

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Virginia

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$19.4

Ranked in the US

#9

Ranked in the US

#19

Ranked in the US

#15

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Washington

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$18.54

Ranked in the US

#12

$14.49

Ranked in the US

#2

Ranked in the US

#6

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

West Virginia

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$15.45

Ranked in the US

#48

$8.75

Ranked in the US

#31

Ranked in the US

#50

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Wisconsin

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$16.4

Ranked in the US

#30

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#50

Ranked in the US

#30

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income

Wyoming

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$15.25

Ranked in the US

#50

$7.25

Ranked in the US

#51

Ranked in the US

#27

Livable Wage

Minimum Wage

Median Household Income