How Much Do You Need to Earn in the USA to Live Comfortably?
According to American analysts, to live comfortably in the United States, one needs to have a certain level of income. The article mentions the minimum living expenses for singles. The optimal amount to ensure a comfortable life for one person includes the ability to enjoy life (afford some entertainment), regularly pay all expenses, have the opportunity to own a home, even if it’s through a mortgage, and save a certain amount for a worry-free retirement.
Interestingly, families with children need to earn more to live comfortably. This is due to additional expenses for education, healthcare, and other needs of children.
The most popular states in the United States among immigrants are California, New York, and Florida. New York and California are on the list of states that require the highest income level for a comfortable life.
For example, in California, a single person needs to earn at least $80,000 per year to live comfortably. This is due to high real estate prices and the overall cost of living. New York requires a slightly lower income level – $73,000 per year, but it still remains one of the most expensive places to live in the United States. Florida, on the other hand, requires the lowest income level – $57,000 per year.
By the way, rental housing is one of the major expenses. For example, in the most expensive cities in the United States, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is between $2000 and $4000.
Table 1: Required income for a comfortable life in popular US states (for individuals)
| State | Required income per person per year |
|---|---|
| California | $80,000 |
| New York | $73,000 |
| Florida | $57,000 |
Table 2: Most expensive US states (expenses per person per year)
| State | Required income per person per year |
|---|---|
| 1. Hawaii | $112,000 |
| 2. Massachusetts | $87,000 |
| 3. California | $80,000 |
| 4. New York | $73,000 |
| 5. Alaska | $71,000 |
Table 3: Average rent for one-bedroom apartments in some expensive US cities (per month)
| City | Average Rent |
|---|---|
| 1. New York | $3,990 |
| 2. Jersey City | $3,280 |
| 3. San Francisco | $3,040 |
| 4. Boston | $2,860 |
| 5. Miami | $2,730 |
| 6. San Jose | $2,630 |
| 7. San Diego | $2,460 |
| 8. Los Angeles | $2,410 |
From the table it can be seen that New York, Jersey City, Boston, Miami, and cities in California are the most expensive places to rent apartments in the United States. Renting an apartment constitutes a significant portion of expenses. Residents of California must earn at least $6.6 thousand per month to avoid financial difficulties. Due to high property prices and the overall high cost of living, many Americans prefer to move to cheaper states, such as Florida.
The high cost of living in the most expensive states in the US (Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, New York, and Alaska) is explained by high expenses on housing, food, transportation, entertainment, including other additional expenditures. This means that people need to have more money to cover their daily expenses.
To ensure a comfortable life in the United States, especially in states with high prices, it is necessary to have a decent income that will allow covering all expenses, including rent, utilities, as well as saving funds for future retirement.
