12 States Where a $60K Salary Puts You in the Lowest Income Bracket
As the cost of necessities continues to rise, a $60,000 salary falls well short of what’s needed to earn a comfortable living in many states. In 12 states, it won’t even qualify you for the middle class.
That’s according a new MoneyLion analysis of data from the U.S. Census, Sperling’s BestPlaces, Zillow and the Federal Reserve. MoneyLion used the Pew Research Center’s definition of middle class: an income of two-thirds to double the median income.
Using the 50/30/20 budgeting framework, MoneyLion defines “comfortable living” as earning twice the cost of necessities. That benchmark rises sharply in states where housing, utilities and transportation consume an outsized share of household budgets. When those essentials become more expensive, the income needed to reach the middle class rises with them.
Those pressures aren’t limited to one region. High‑cost states in the Northeast, West Coast and Mountain West all require well above $60,000 to reach the middle‑class floor. The result is a widening divide between states where $60,000 still stretches and those where it no longer comes close.
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Key Findings
A trio of East Coast states tops the list for minimum income needed to qualify for the middle class. Massachusetts is first at $69,885. New Jersey is next up ($69,528), followed by Maryland ($68,603).
States where $60,000 won’t qualify for middle class can be found across the U.S. The list includes six western states, four states from the Northeast and two from the Mid-Atlantic region.
Hawaii has the highest annual cost for necessities at $99,179. The Aloha State is followed by California ($81,674) and Massachusetts ($73,368).
You’ll need to make nearly $200,000 a year to live comfortably in Hawaii. On the other end of the spectrum, you can live comfortably in West Virginia or Mississippi for about $68,000 a year.
A $60,000 salary falls well below the median income for all of the states in MoneyLion’s list. Virginia comes the closest at around $92,000.
Here’s a look at the 12 states on MoneyLion’s list.
1. Massachusetts
Income needed to be middle class: $69,885
Annual cost of necessities: $73,368
Annual cost of comfortable living: $146,736
Median household income: $104,828
2. New Jersey
Income needed to be middle class: $69,529
Annual cost of necessities: $63,452
Annual cost of comfortable living: $126,904
Median household income: $104,294
3. Maryland
Income needed to be middle class: $68,603
Annual cost of necessities: $54,431
Annual cost of comfortable living: $108,862
Median household income: $102,905
4. Hawaii
Income needed to be middle class: $67,163
Annual cost of necessities: $99,179
Annual cost of comfortable living: $198,357
Median household income: $100,745
5. California
Income needed to be middle class: $66,766
Annual cost of necessities: $81,674
Annual cost of comfortable living: $163,349
Median household income: $100,149
6. New Hampshire
Income needed to be middle class: $66,521
Annual cost of necessities: $59,484
Annual cost of comfortable living: $118,969
Median household income: $99,782
7. Washington
Income needed to be middle class: $66,259
Annual cost of necessities: $66,961
Annual cost of comfortable living: $133,923
Median household income: $99,389
8. Colorado
Income needed to be middle class: $64,742
Annual cost of necessities: $60,157
Annual cost of comfortable living: $120,315
Median household income: $97,113
9. Utah
Income needed to be middle class: $64,439
Annual cost of necessities: $58,737
Annual cost of comfortable living: $117,473
Median household income: $96,658
10. Connecticut
Income needed to be middle class: $64,033
Annual cost of necessities: $56,512
Annual cost of comfortable living: $113,023
Median household income: $96,049
11. Alaska
Income needed to be middle class: $63,777
Annual cost of necessities: $58,004
Annual cost of comfortable living: $116,009
Median household income: $95,665
12. Virginia
Income needed to be middle class: $61,393
Annual cost of necessities: $51,218
Annual cost of comfortable living: $102,436
Median household income: $92,090
Methodology: For this study, MoneyLion analyzed U.S. states to determine where an annual income of $60,000 puts you in the lower-middle class. Pew Research Center defines the middle class as two-thirds to double the middle class income. Using the U.S. Census 2024 ACS, MoneyLion sourced total population, total households, median household income and upper quintile income limits. Using the median household income, the entire middle class was calculated. Breaking the middle class into thirds, the lower-middle class was calculated for each state. Cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling's BestPlaces. Using the national average expenditure costs, the average cost of living was calculated for each state. The average single-family home value was sourced from the Zillow Home Value Index. Assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate (as sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data), the average mortgage was calculated for each state. The states were sorted to show the highest incomes needed first. All data is up to date as of April 1, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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