Here’s how much single adults in Kansas must earn to live comfortably, analysis says

As the prices of consumer goods continue increasing throughout the U.S., finding financial stability remains a challenge.

So, how much do you need to make to live comfortably as a single adult in 2024? That question was the subject of a recent analysis from financial technology company SmartAsset, which reviewed the basic costs of living for single working adults in each U.S. state.

SmartAsset fueled its analysis by using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator and applying the 50/30/20 rule, which recommends spending roughly 50% of a person’s income on basic needs like food and utilities while spending 30% on “wants” and desires and the rest on savings or paying off debt. The resulting analysis produced estimates of hourly wages that would allow single adults and two-parent, two-child families to live comfortably in the U.S., plus rankings for all 50 states.

Here’s what you need to know about the findings for Kansas, the Wichita area and beyond.

How expensive is it to live comfortably in Kansas?

Throughout the Sunflower State, a single working adult must earn at least $84,656 per year — or $40.70 per hour — to cover basic needs, fund common desires and properly sustain savings, according to SmartAsset’s report. Overall, that figure ranks Kansas No. 34 in the country between Montana ($84,739 per year) and Michigan ($84,365 per year).

SmartAsset’s analysis suggests the average family with two working adults raising a pair of children must make at least $196,768 per year to live comfortably in Kansas. That ranks 41st in the country, checking in roughly $19,000 above the cheapest in Mississippi ($177,798 per year).

Locally, single working adults with no children must make at least $19.20 per hour to support themselves with a living wage in Sedgwick County, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator. Two adults supporting two children should make at least $23.06 an hour to support the family with a living wage, the online tool suggests.

Overall, most necessities in the U.S. have grown more expensive over the past year.

The cost of all items rose 3.5% over that 12-month span, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index. Overall food prices increased by about 2.2% over the year, while shelter (up 5.7%) and gasoline (1.3%) also saw hikes. Transportation services, up roughly 10.7% over the past 12 months, saw the largest price increase of any measured category in that span.

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How does the rest of the country compare?

According to SmartAsset’s analysis, no state is estimated to have a higher cost of living than Massachusetts, where a single adult must earn at least $116,022 a year (or $55.78 per hour) to live comfortably. Hawaii ($113,693 per year) and California ($113,651) follow closely behind as the second- and third-most expensive states for single working adults with no children.

West Virginia requires a $78,790 salary to allow a single working adult to meet all basics, wants and needs and is estimated as the cheapest state in the country. Arkansas ($79,456) and Oklahoma ($80,413) round out the bottom of the list, SmartAsset suggests.

Mississippi is the cheapest state for a two-parent, two-child family to live comfortably ($177,798), while Massachusetts ($301,184) again claimed the most expensive state in this category.

Read up on SmartAsset’s full study by visiting smartasset.com/data-studies/state-salary-living-comfortably-2024. You can visit livingwage.mit.edu to explore living wage statistics for states, counties and metropolitan areas across the country.