These Are The 5 Most Expensive States For Single Parents

Where do you live? If you have children, this matters a lot more than you think. If you’re a single parent, it can literally make or break your finances. Credello analyzed living wage data across the country to find out how much a single parent needs to earn in each state to survive, and the results are shocking.

To understand the extra financial burden that single parents bear, we looked at the median living wage in each state for one person. We then looked at the living wage required for an adult supporting a child and compared the difference. For example, in Massachusetts, which is the most expensive state for single parents, you’d need to earn $94,785 yearly to raise a child as a single parent – $38,442 above the median living wage of an adult living alone. That’s quite a big difference.

Moreover, a 2019 Pew Research Center report revealed that the U.S. has the highest percentage of single parents in the world. Between having to cover the cost of childcare on one income and the pressure to juggle parental duties and work, those single parents don’t have it easy. It turns out that depending on where they live, some may have it even harder than others. Here are the five most expensive states for single parents, followed by the five least expensive ones.

The top 5 most expensive states for single parents

Massachusetts

• Median living wage for one person: $56,343
• Living wage required with one child: $94,785
• Difference: $38,442

Hawaii

• Median living wage for one person: $54,942
• Living wage required with one child: $91,000
• Difference: $36,058

New York

• Median living wage for one person: $53,687
• Living wage required with one child: $86,507
• Difference: $32,820

New Jersey

• Median living wage for one person: $49,757
• Living wage required with one child: $82,472
• Difference: $32,715

Minnesota

• Median living wage for one person: $47,446
• Living wage required with one child: $74,068
• Difference: $26,622

The top 5 least expensive states for single parents

Oklahoma:

• Median living wage for one person: $64,975
• Living wage required with one child: $68,556
• Difference: $3,581

Maine:

• Median living wage for one person: $75,214
• Living wage required with one child: $72,467
• Difference: $2,747

Vermont:

• Median living wage for one person: $74,398
• Living wage required with one child: $73,382
• Difference: $1,016

Nevada:

• Median living wage for one person: $75,432
• Living wage required with one child: $74,484
• Difference: $947

New Hampshire:

• Median living wage for one person: $75,321
• Living wage required with one child: $74,838
• Difference: $483

Bottom Line

As you can see, being a single parent in Massachusetts can lead to a vastly different experience from being a parent in New Hampshire. There are different factors at play, from the cost of living to the cost of childcare. In a single-income household, those factors add up quickly.