What it costs a family of four to live in every U.S. state
A family of four needs about $7,800 a month to cover an ordinary budget at U.S. average prices, before saving anything. Where that family lives moves the number by more than $2,700 a month. In Arkansas the same household runs about $6,500. In California or Washington, D.C., it is over $9,200.
Those figures come from LifeCalculator's family budget calculator, run for every state with the same household. This article explains what goes into them, why housing drives most of the gap, and how to adjust the estimate for your own family.
The household we priced
To compare states fairly, we used one household everywhere:
- Two parents, ages 38 and 40
- Two children, ages 9 and 4, with the 4-year-old in paid childcare
- Groceries at the USDA low-cost food plan, the level of a careful shopper
- A three-bedroom rental at the state's typical rent, including utilities
- Two drivers, a phone line for each person 12 and over, and typical spending on clothing, health care, entertainment and gifts
Savings are not included, so each number is what it takes to cover the bills. Most planners suggest putting 10–20% of take-home pay on top of that.
Monthly budget by state
States are ranked from most to least expensive. Housing is rent plus utilities for a three-bedroom home. Groceries follow the USDA low-cost plan, adjusted for each state's price level on goods.
| # | State | Monthly | Yearly | Housing | Groceries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $9,268 | $111,216 | $3,146 | $1,110 |
| 2 | California | $9,251 | $111,012 | $3,133 | $1,106 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $8,855 | $106,260 | $2,726 | $1,116 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $8,818 | $105,816 | $2,543 | $1,163 |
| 5 | New York | $8,607 | $103,284 | $2,480 | $1,118 |
| 6 | Washington | $8,582 | $102,984 | $2,557 | $1,088 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $8,428 | $101,136 | $2,599 | $1,030 |
| 8 | Maryland | $8,372 | $100,464 | $2,458 | $1,069 |
| 9 | Colorado | $8,335 | $100,020 | $2,585 | $1,029 |
| 10 | Florida | $8,233 | $98,796 | $2,478 | $1,022 |
| 11 | Oregon | $8,163 | $97,956 | $2,205 | $1,097 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $8,142 | $97,704 | $2,333 | $1,028 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $8,126 | $97,512 | $2,376 | $1,015 |
| 14 | Virginia | $7,945 | $95,340 | $2,168 | $1,046 |
| 15 | Nevada | $7,938 | $95,256 | $2,317 | $1,004 |
| 16 | Alaska | $7,900 | $94,800 | $1,904 | $1,108 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $7,871 | $94,452 | $2,144 | $1,013 |
| 18 | Arizona | $7,817 | $93,804 | $2,168 | $994 |
| 19 | Utah | $7,800 | $93,600 | $2,188 | $1,006 |
| — | U.S. average | $7,777 | $93,324 | $2,030 | $1,043 |
| 20 | Illinois | $7,770 | $93,240 | $1,907 | $1,083 |
| 21 | Delaware | $7,713 | $92,556 | $2,071 | $1,003 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $7,597 | $91,164 | $1,853 | $1,048 |
| 23 | Texas | $7,572 | $90,864 | $1,959 | $1,023 |
| 24 | Georgia | $7,431 | $89,172 | $1,800 | $1,031 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $7,416 | $88,992 | $1,727 | $1,036 |
| 26 | Vermont | $7,408 | $88,896 | $1,756 | $1,014 |
| 27 | Idaho | $7,386 | $88,632 | $1,827 | $1,004 |
| 28 | Maine | $7,256 | $87,072 | $1,602 | $1,013 |
| 29 | Michigan | $7,252 | $87,024 | $1,671 | $1,001 |
| 30 | Montana | $7,251 | $87,012 | $1,718 | $1,001 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $7,193 | $86,316 | $1,651 | $1,007 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $7,159 | $85,908 | $1,634 | $1,004 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $7,093 | $85,116 | $1,610 | $983 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $7,065 | $84,780 | $1,605 | $1,003 |
| 35 | Indiana | $7,004 | $84,048 | $1,501 | $996 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $6,993 | $83,916 | $1,494 | $1,002 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $6,948 | $83,376 | $1,444 | $994 |
| 38 | Ohio | $6,920 | $83,040 | $1,482 | $977 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $6,871 | $82,452 | $1,526 | $981 |
| 40 | Missouri | $6,864 | $82,368 | $1,418 | $1,004 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $6,806 | $81,672 | $1,450 | $998 |
| 42 | Kansas | $6,796 | $81,552 | $1,444 | $980 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $6,755 | $81,060 | $1,305 | $1,001 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $6,725 | $80,700 | $1,373 | $995 |
| 45 | Alabama | $6,690 | $80,280 | $1,254 | $1,005 |
| 46 | Iowa | $6,625 | $79,500 | $1,326 | $977 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $6,616 | $79,392 | $1,281 | $977 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $6,603 | $79,236 | $1,274 | $978 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $6,587 | $79,044 | $1,101 | $1,007 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $6,542 | $78,504 | $1,146 | $1,003 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $6,490 | $77,880 | $1,181 | $976 |
Estimates for 2026 using BEA Regional Price Parities (2024), USDA Food Plans (August 2026), BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (2024), Census median gross rent (2024) and Child Care Aware of America (2025). Figures from 2024 are adjusted by about 5% for price changes since.
Housing explains most of the gap
Groceries barely change across the country. The low-cost food plan for this family ranges from about $980 a month in states such as Arkansas and Ohio to about $1,160 in Hawaii, a spread of under $200. Most goods cost roughly the same everywhere because they are shipped nationally and sold by the same chains.
Rent is a different story. The Bureau of Economic Analysis measures rent levels by state, and in 2024 they ranged from about 54% of the national average in West Virginia to about 155% in California and D.C. For a three-bedroom home, that is the difference between roughly $1,100 and $3,100 a month. Housing alone accounts for most of the $2,700 gap between the cheapest and most expensive states.
That is why moving within the same job market can matter more than any other budget change. A family that trims $200 a month from groceries through careful shopping would save the same amount by paying $200 less in rent, and the rent saving repeats automatically every month.
Childcare is the other big line
The 4-year-old's childcare adds about $1,100 a month at the national average price reported by Child Care Aware of America for 2025, and it is scaled by each state's overall price level. For families with an infant and a preschooler, childcare can cost more than rent in many states. Once the youngest child starts school, the budget drops sharply. Without childcare, this family's national average budget falls from about $7,800 to about $6,678 a month.
How your grocery style changes the total
The USDA publishes four food plans. For this family at U.S. average prices, the monthly grocery cost comes to:
- Thrifty: about $1,003
- Low-cost: about $1,043
- Moderate: about $1,305
- Liberal: about $1,590
Moving from the low-cost to the moderate plan adds about $260 a month, which is more than the grocery difference between most states. Eating out and takeout, estimated at a quarter of the grocery bill, rise with it.
What the estimate leaves out
- Taxes. The budget is compared with take-home pay, so income and payroll taxes are already gone. State income taxes vary widely, which affects how much gross income you need.
- Debt payments. Credit cards and student loans are not included. Add your minimum payments, or use the debt paydown planner.
- Home ownership. The estimate assumes renting. If you own, choose "I'll enter my housing cost" and type in your mortgage payment, property tax, insurance and utilities.
- City versus country. State averages hide large differences. Rents in Denver and in rural Colorado can differ by more than the gap between Colorado and Ohio.
Build your own version
For a full breakdown in any state, including couples and single adults, see the cost of living by state pages. Or open the family budget calculator, enter the ages of everyone in your home, pick your state and grocery style, and add your take-home pay. You will see which lines are above or below typical, and you can download everything as an Excel workbook. Every line has a "Your amount" column, so you can replace the estimates with your real numbers.
Run your own numbers. Free, no sign-up, with an Excel download.
Open the Family Budget calculator