Minimum Wage vs. Cost of Living by State

2026 data · Single adult, no children · Full-time (2,080 hrs/year)

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Part of the Can You Live on Minimum Wage? Journey This table appears inside the Why Do We Have a Minimum Wage? Quest, where you’ll explore the history of the minimum wage, meet the workers and policymakers who shaped it, and decide for yourself whether it’s doing what it was designed to do. The full Quest is available to Level Up Life members.

What this table shows — and why it matters

The minimum wage gives workers a floor — the lowest amount an employer can legally pay. But a floor and a living wage are not the same thing. A living wage is the hourly rate a single adult needs to cover basic necessities: housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and utilities. Nothing more. No savings. No emergencies. No discretionary spending.

This table compares the current minimum wage in every state against that living wage figure. The gap between those two numbers tells the real story — and it may surprise you.

No state minimum wage currently meets the living wage for a single adult. Not one. Some come closer than others, but across all 50 states, a full-time minimum wage worker falls short of what it actually costs to live there.

🔍 How to use this table

Find your state using the search box, or scroll alphabetically.

Sort any column by clicking the header.

Filter by outcome — states that cover costs, or states that fall short.

Green = covers basic needs. Red = falls short.

Minimum Wage vs. Cost of Living by State

2026 data · Single adult, no children · Full-time (2,080 hrs/year)

Find your state:

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State	Min. Wage (hr)	Annual Income	Min. Cost of Living (annual)	Living Wage Needed (hr)	Hourly Wage Gap	Annual Surplus / Deficit

Sources: State minimum wages: U.S. Dept. of Labor / Labor Law Center (January 2026). Living wage (single adult, no children): MIT Living Wage Calculator via World Population Review (2026). Annual figures assume 40 hrs/week x 52 weeks = 2,080 hours/year. Living wage covers basic needs only — housing, food, transportation, healthcare, utilities. Does not include savings or discretionary spending.
Hourly Wage Gap = Min. Wage minus Living Wage Needed. Annual Surplus/Deficit = Annual Income minus Min. Cost of Living. Green = wage covers basic needs. Red = wage falls short.

Ready to go deeper?

This table is just the starting point. The full Quest walks you through the history of the minimum wage, the people who fought to create it, and the real math of living on it — state by state.

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