Monthly income at $7.25-$16.28/hr vs monthly expenses in each state. Which states are livable on minimum wage?
| # | State | Monthly Surplus/Deficit ▼ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Virginia | $81/mo | $48,000 | 84 | A+ | |
| #2 | Mississippi | $61/mo | $46,500 | 83 | A+ | |
| #3 | Hawaii | $59/mo | $84,900 | 190 | A+ | |
| #4 | Arkansas | $46/mo | $52,100 | 84 | A+ | |
| #5 | Montana | $45/mo | $60,600 | 103 | A+ | |
| #6 | Wyoming | $19/mo | $65,000 | 95 | A+ | |
| #7 | New York | $16/mo | $75,900 | 139 | A+ | |
| #8 | North Dakota | $14/mo | $64,800 | 93 | A+ | |
| #9 | Kentucky | $7/mo | $55,600 | 87 | A | |
| #10 | Alaska | $1/mo | $77,800 | 127 | A | |
| #11 | Maine | $-4/mo | $63,200 | 109 | A | |
| #12 | South Dakota | $-9/mo | $62,100 | 91 | A | |
| #13 | Iowa | $-14/mo | $63,200 | 90 | A | |
| #14 | Oklahoma | $-20/mo | $55,800 | 86 | A | |
| #15 | New Mexico | $-34/mo | $53,000 | 91 | A | |
| #16 | Nebraska | $-35/mo | $66,500 | 91 | A | |
| #17 | Alabama | $-44/mo | $56,200 | 87 | A | |
| #18 | Vermont | $-44/mo | $63,400 | 110 | A | |
| #19 | Ohio | $-53/mo | $59,300 | 89 | A | |
| #20 | Indiana | $-54/mo | $58,600 | 90 | A | |
| #21 | Kansas | $-55/mo | $62,100 | 89 | A | |
| #22 | Missouri | $-58/mo | $61,000 | 88 | A | |
| #23 | Wisconsin | $-61/mo | $64,800 | 93 | A | |
| #24 | Louisiana | $-62/mo | $52,300 | 91 | A | |
| #25 | Connecticut | $-88/mo | $83,800 | 121 | B+ | |
| #26 | Idaho | $-92/mo | $62,300 | 97 | B+ | |
| #27 | Michigan | $-93/mo | $63,400 | 89 | B+ | |
| #28 | Rhode Island | $-94/mo | $71,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #29 | Minnesota | $-118/mo | $77,700 | 97 | B+ | |
| #30 | Delaware | $-121/mo | $69,100 | 102 | B+ | |
| #31 | Oregon | $-133/mo | $71,200 | 113 | B+ | |
| #32 | Pennsylvania | $-146/mo | $67,600 | 94 | B | |
| #33 | Utah | $-152/mo | $75,600 | 103 | B | |
| #34 | New Hampshire | $-155/mo | $83,300 | 112 | B | |
| #35 | New Jersey | $-155/mo | $87,700 | 121 | B | |
| #36 | Massachusetts | $-156/mo | $89,700 | 135 | B | |
| #37 | South Carolina | $-160/mo | $56,200 | 92 | B | |
| #38 | California | $-174/mo | $84,900 | 142 | B | |
| #39 | North Carolina | $-186/mo | $61,000 | 95 | B | |
| #40 | Tennessee | $-194/mo | $59,700 | 91 | B | |
| #41 | Illinois | $-204/mo | $72,200 | 93 | B | |
| #42 | Maryland | $-221/mo | $90,200 | 118 | C | |
| #43 | Nevada | $-226/mo | $64,200 | 104 | C | |
| #44 | Washington | $-258/mo | $82,100 | 115 | C | |
| #45 | Arizona | $-260/mo | $65,600 | 103 | C | |
| #46 | Virginia | $-274/mo | $80,600 | 103 | C | |
| #47 | Georgia | $-291/mo | $63,400 | 93 | D | |
| #48 | Texas | $-292/mo | $67,300 | 93 | D | |
| #49 | Colorado | $-346/mo | $80,200 | 105 | D | |
| #50 | Florida | $-398/mo | $63,100 | 103 | F |
Based on our analysis of minimum wage livability across all 50 states, West Virginia ranks #1 with $81/mo, while Florida ranks last at $-398/mo. The national average is $-104/mo.
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: $479/mo. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your minimum wage livability. Use our hourly to salary calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
West Virginia ranks #1 with $81/mo. Mississippi and Hawaii round out the top 3.
Florida ranks last (#50) with $-398/mo. Colorado and Texas are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is $-104/mo. The median is $-92/mo.
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.