Californians must earn more than residents of 48 other states to afford a single-income household with one parent staying at home, according to a recent study by SmartAsset. The Golden State ranks second from the bottom nationally on a list that details the required salaries for a one-income family.
To support a partner staying at home and one child, Californians would need to earn at least $101,213 annually. This figure does not account for paid childcare expenses. If both parents work, each would need to earn approximately $61,194 to support a single child in the state.
Only Hawaii was found to be more expensive, requiring a minimum annual income of $106,496 for a working partner. California and Hawaii were the only states where the necessary household income exceeded $100,000.
Other West Coast states also ranked high on the list for cost: Washington requires an income of $90,106, and Oregon requires $88,899. New York ranked fourth, with a required income of $94,827.
For families seeking affordability, Arkansas emerged as the most financially feasible state for single-income households, needing a salary of $68,869 to support a family of three.
Child-Rearing Costs on the Rise
Recent analysis from LendingTree indicates that raising a child in the U.S. from birth to age 18 now costs approximately $300,000. This represents a nearly 30% increase over the past three years. Despite the rising costs, approximately one-fifth of U.S. families maintain a household with one non-working parent, a statistic that has remained stable for decades, according to the Pew Research Center.
Earlier studies by SmartAsset have also highlighted the high cost of living in major California cities. A family of four in San Francisco would need an annual income of $408,000 to live comfortably, topping the national list. San Jose and Oakland followed, requiring $403,000 and $371,000 respectively. Irvine also appeared in the top 10, with a required comfortable living income of $327,000.
In contrast, the median household income for a U.S. family of four is $124,999, suggesting that a comfortable life in California remains out of reach for a majority of American families.