The Salary a Single Person Needs to Get By in Every U.S. State (2025)

Let’s drop the illusion.
The cost of living in America is no longer about living, it’s about surviving.
And for single people (no second income, no split utilities, no backup) it’s becoming a quiet war of wages versus reality.

So what does it really cost just to get by in 2025?

A new report from GoBankingRates calculated the annual salary a single adult needs to live modestly in each U.S. state. The numbers don’t reflect luxury.
No avocado toast.
No Netflix deluxe.
Just rent, groceries, transportation, and a whisper of breathing room.

The answers are as sobering as they are uneven.

The National Average: $57,000 Just to Exist

Across all 50 states, the average income needed for a single adult to afford basic living expenses in 2025 is now hovering around $57,000…and climbing.

Not to thrive.
Not to save.
Just to avoid slipping into debt with every grocery swipe or rent check.

This number assumes:

Modest housing
Basic food costs
Transportation
Health insurance
One person, zero dependents

In a world where the federal minimum wage is still $7.25/hour, it begs the question, who is this economy really built for?

States Where You Can Barely Breathe

Here are the 5 cheapest states for a single adult to get by in 2025, and even these require salaries well above many local wages:

Affordable? On paper, maybe. But many of these states also lack strong public transportation, dense job markets, or healthcare access, which means “cheaper” can cost more in other ways.

States Where Survival Requires a High-Paying Job

Now for the states where even a single-bedroom apartment might feel like a luxury suite:

In Hawaii, you now need a six-figure salary just to meet your own basic needs.
In California, the salary needed to get by has outpaced what many earn with a master’s degree.

And don’t even ask about San Francisco.

Why This Matters (Even If You’re Not Single)

If you're not single, you might think this doesn't apply to you. But here's why it absolutely does:

Many millennials and Gen Z adults are single longer.
Divorce, death, or separation can make you single again…instantly.
These numbers shape wages, housing markets, and economic policy for everyone.

When single people can’t afford to live alone, cities lose teachers, nurses, artists, and service workers. Neighborhoods hollow out. Rents spike.
Side hustles multiply.
And burnout becomes a baseline.

This isn’t just a finance story.
It’s a mental health story.
A loneliness story.
A late-stage capitalism story.

What’s Driving These Costs?

So why are single adults needing $60K+ just to function?

Because every part of the “basic life” equation has been quietly inflated:

Rent: National average for a 1-bedroom is now over $1,500/month in many cities. In places like NYC or San Diego, double it.
Groceries: Eggs are up. Bread is up. Even cheap produce isn't cheap anymore.
Healthcare: Employer-sponsored insurance isn’t a given, and premiums are punishing for individuals.
Transportation: In most U.S. states, you need a car to work, and that comes with gas, maintenance, insurance, and rising registration costs.
Utilities: Even staying home costs money. Electricity, internet, phone…all essentials now.

The kicker? These budgets assume no debt.
No student loans.
No credit card balances.
No emergencies.

How many of us actually live like that?

The Invisible Tax on Being Alone

It’s not just about numbers, it’s about structure.

Being single means:

No one to split the rent with
No shared car
No dual-income grocery runs
No backup if you get sick or laid off

Every bill hits you, and only you.
Every burden, every increase, every surprise…yours to carry.

And worst of all? Society often still frames singleness as “freedom.”
As if not being married means you’ve got disposable income for wine bars and solo travel.

But ask the average single person in 2025?
They're not traveling.
They're treading water.

The Mental Cost of Making It Alone

You learn how to do everything yourself.
Budget. Meal prep. Kill spiders. File taxes. Fix the faucet.

But what no one prepares you for is the exhaustion.
Of waking up every day knowing it’s all on you.

No backup income. No shared stress. No dual insurance.

It’s not loneliness that breaks people.
It’s the constant vigilance.
The low-level survival mode that never shuts off.

And when you're living paycheck to paycheck, even a small joy (like ordering takeout or taking a day off) feels dangerous.

And Then Came the Side Hustle Economy

To cope, many single adults turn to side hustles.
Dog walking. Food delivery. Selling art. Freelancing. Reselling clothes.

But side hustles, while sometimes empowering, often mask deeper exploitation:

No benefits
No protections
No off-switch
No retirement

You’re always "on."
Always producing.
Always trying to catch up to a cost of living that keeps running ahead of you.

And no one wants to say it aloud, but here it is: This is not sustainable.

So What Can Be Done? (And What Can’t)

Let’s be honest…no one can budget their way out of a housing crisis.

But there are two paths we can walk at once:

Personal resilience and financial clarity
Systemic advocacy for real change

Here’s how:

For Individuals

Track Your Spending (Without Shame): Awareness helps. Use tools like YNAB or Mint. But be gentle…this is survival mode, not failure.
Know Your State’s Threshold: Use the chart below to see your state’s baseline and build from there.
Build Community Support: House shares. Mutual aid groups. Shared childcare. These aren’t fallback options, they’re lifelines.
Negotiate Everything: Rent, internet, insurance. The economy won’t advocate for you, but you can.
Prioritize Rest Like Rent: Burnout is expensive. You need sleep to survive the system. You’re not lazy. You’re human.

For the System

Raise the federal minimum wage. It hasn’t moved in 15 years.
Cap rent hikes in high-density areas.
Make healthcare untied to employment.
Fund mental health for real, not just PR.
Normalize solo living as a valid, supported choice.

Surviving alone shouldn’t be a luxury.

Salary Needed to Get By in All 50 U.S. States (2025)

Here’s the salary a single adult needs just to live a modest life…no kids, no debt, no extras:

(Source: GoBankingRates 2025, rounded for clarity.)

The High Cost of Simply Staying

You can do everything “right.”
Budget. Cook at home. Skip vacations.
And still find yourself staring at a bill, wondering if your bank account can carry it and your body can carry you.

Because survival isn’t just about money…it’s about math your soul has to do daily.
Can I afford rest today?
Can I afford joy?
Can I afford to not be afraid of next month?

Being single in America isn't the carefree dream it’s sold as.
It’s courage on a Tuesday.
It’s grocery math in your head.
It’s lifting every box, every burden, every what-if, alone.

But it’s also resilience.
It’s agency.
It’s the slow, radical rebellion of choosing to stay in your body, in your budget, in this fight for a life that feels like living.

You shouldn’t need $85,000 to feel safe.
You shouldn’t need two incomes to feel whole.
But until the system shifts, let this be your reminder:

You are not failing. The math is rigged.
And you are still here…somehow…doing it anyway.
And that?
That’s worth more than any salary chart could ever say.