#Microblog Monday 496: The 8th Most Expensive State
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A news article I was reading linked out to this map that shows the amount of money you need to earn to live comfortably in your state. The number is based on a single working adult, so the number is different if your situation is different (working couple, couple with one working partner, children at home, children out of the house, etc.). Still, it’s an interesting starting point to see how your state lines up with other states regarding the cost of living. And they do have a second graphic for households.
Massachusetts ranks first as the most expensive, and West Virginia is the least expensive. Maryland is in the top ten most expensive states with an average salary of $102,918 to live comfortably. It’s the 15th most expensive state for household income, needing a salary of $239,450 to live comfortably.
The numbers seem high considering the average distribution of household income in the United States, but what do I know?
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3 comments
Not shocked to see that NY is in the top 4, after Massachusetts, and then a tie between California and Hawaii. Although, misleading, because having lived in the downstate, Westchester area and then moving up to Western NY/Rochester area, the cost of living is MARKEDLY different. When I moved up here in 2001, the average cost of a house I could reasonably (maybe) afford with my ex-husband was around $300,000 in Westchester and it had to be way upper, far from my job in NYC. In Rochester? Bought a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house for $104,000. SO DIFFERENT. But then again, salaries are lower up here, too. So it would be interesting to see how they aggregate that data…
Fascinating stuff!
Probably depends on your definition of living comfortably, I guess. I can live very comfortably on my salary with a dependent. It’s a bit above what is needed for a single person. But we live pretty simply, don’t need what I would call luxury items (i.e. New phones every year or two), and I try not to pay full price for anything.
$239,450? Good grief. Maybe their definition of “comfortably” is very different to mine! lol (And I’m just thinking about dollar for dollar, not the exchange rate!)