Where do two-income households thrive? Ranked by income potential, affordability, childcare, and quality of life.
| # | State | Dual Income Score ▼ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | 100/100 | $56,200 | 87 | A+ | |
| #2 | Alaska | 100/100 | $77,800 | 127 | A+ | |
| #3 | Arizona | 100/100 | $65,600 | 103 | A+ | |
| #4 | Arkansas | 100/100 | $52,100 | 84 | A+ | |
| #5 | California | 100/100 | $84,900 | 142 | A+ | |
| #6 | Colorado | 100/100 | $80,200 | 105 | A+ | |
| #7 | Connecticut | 100/100 | $83,800 | 121 | A+ | |
| #8 | Delaware | 100/100 | $69,100 | 102 | A+ | |
| #9 | Florida | 100/100 | $63,100 | 103 | A+ | |
| #10 | Georgia | 100/100 | $63,400 | 93 | A+ | |
| #11 | Idaho | 100/100 | $62,300 | 97 | A+ | |
| #12 | Illinois | 100/100 | $72,200 | 93 | A+ | |
| #13 | Indiana | 100/100 | $58,600 | 90 | A+ | |
| #14 | Iowa | 100/100 | $63,200 | 90 | A+ | |
| #15 | Kansas | 100/100 | $62,100 | 89 | A+ | |
| #16 | Kentucky | 100/100 | $55,600 | 87 | A+ | |
| #17 | Louisiana | 100/100 | $52,300 | 91 | A+ | |
| #18 | Maine | 100/100 | $63,200 | 109 | A+ | |
| #19 | Maryland | 100/100 | $90,200 | 118 | A+ | |
| #20 | Massachusetts | 100/100 | $89,700 | 135 | A+ | |
| #21 | Michigan | 100/100 | $63,400 | 89 | A+ | |
| #22 | Minnesota | 100/100 | $77,700 | 97 | A+ | |
| #23 | Mississippi | 100/100 | $46,500 | 83 | A+ | |
| #24 | Missouri | 100/100 | $61,000 | 88 | A+ | |
| #25 | Montana | 100/100 | $60,600 | 103 | A+ | |
| #26 | Nebraska | 100/100 | $66,500 | 91 | A+ | |
| #27 | Nevada | 100/100 | $64,200 | 104 | A+ | |
| #28 | New Hampshire | 100/100 | $83,300 | 112 | A+ | |
| #29 | New Jersey | 100/100 | $87,700 | 121 | A+ | |
| #30 | New Mexico | 100/100 | $53,000 | 91 | A+ | |
| #31 | North Carolina | 100/100 | $61,000 | 95 | A+ | |
| #32 | North Dakota | 100/100 | $64,800 | 93 | A+ | |
| #33 | Ohio | 100/100 | $59,300 | 89 | A+ | |
| #34 | Oklahoma | 100/100 | $55,800 | 86 | A+ | |
| #35 | Oregon | 100/100 | $71,200 | 113 | A+ | |
| #36 | Pennsylvania | 100/100 | $67,600 | 94 | A+ | |
| #37 | Rhode Island | 100/100 | $71,200 | 109 | A+ | |
| #38 | South Carolina | 100/100 | $56,200 | 92 | A+ | |
| #39 | South Dakota | 100/100 | $62,100 | 91 | A+ | |
| #40 | Tennessee | 100/100 | $59,700 | 91 | A+ | |
| #41 | Texas | 100/100 | $67,300 | 93 | A+ | |
| #42 | Utah | 100/100 | $75,600 | 103 | A+ | |
| #43 | Vermont | 100/100 | $63,400 | 110 | A+ | |
| #44 | Virginia | 100/100 | $80,600 | 103 | A+ | |
| #45 | Washington | 100/100 | $82,100 | 115 | A+ | |
| #46 | West Virginia | 100/100 | $48,000 | 84 | A+ | |
| #47 | Wisconsin | 100/100 | $64,800 | 93 | A+ | |
| #48 | Wyoming | 100/100 | $65,000 | 95 | A+ | |
| #49 | Hawaii | 91/100 | $84,900 | 190 | B | |
| #50 | New York | 85/100 | $75,900 | 139 | F |
Based on our analysis of dual-income families across all 50 states, Alabama ranks #1 with 100/100, while New York ranks last at 85/100. The national average is 100/100.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: 15/100. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your dual-income families. Use our budget planner calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
Alabama ranks #1 with 100/100. Alaska and Arizona round out the top 3.
New York ranks last (#50) with 85/100. Hawaii and Wyoming are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is 100/100. The median is 100/100.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.