If you find yourself watching the moths fly out of your wallet as you near the end of the month, you're not alone — especially if you live in one of these 10 states.
According to GoBankingRates.com, states were evaluated and ranked according to the percentage of the median paycheck that was left over after crunching the numbers on median household income; the cost of housing, food, transportation, utilities and health care per paycheck, and leftover income (if any) after the cost of living expenses was subtracted.
Recommended For You
What follows are the states that are most likely to be so expensive that a good chunk of their residents are living paycheck to paycheck.
If that paycheck isn't stretching enough, according to a GoBankingRates.com survey, people likely have little (or no) savings. With 69 percent of respondents saying they have less than $1,000 in savings, and 34 percent having no savings at all, it's no wonder many watch the calendar with anxiety as their cash dwindles.
It's bad enough trying to get through the month, but imagine retirement—when, without savings, you'll be trying to get by on Social Security, Medicare and (probably) Medicaid, assuming that the next administration doesn't cut or eliminate all three.
So what can you do to make sure you actually have a retirement?
Perhaps you can find a better job or a side hustle, especially if you're a woman and having an even tougher time getting by, much less saving for retirement. GoBankingRates.com suggests moving, if you happen to live in one of these paycheck-to-paycheck states:
10. Oregon
Median household income per paycheck: $2,082.62
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $531.54
Percentage of leftover income: 25.52 percent
Oregon comes in at 10th place, because although its cost of living isn't as high as other states, its median household income is lower, at $54,148.
So necessary expenses eat up a larger proportion of your paycheck.
9. New Jersey
Median household income per paycheck: $2,777.77
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $626.53
Percentage of leftover income: 22.56 percent
Median household income in the Garden State is pretty respectable, at $72,222. But you'll be spending it almost before you know you've got it.
Housing and transportation costs alone will take care of more than half of that check, leaving less than half to deal with food, utilities and health care—no bargains themselves.
8. Vermont
Median household income per paycheck: $2,191.92
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $464.21
Percentage of leftover income: 21.18 percent
Vermont's median household income ($56,990) is higher than the U.S. median, but within New England it's actually on the low side.
Food, utilities, housing, transportation and health care costs are all higher than average, too, so you'll be getting through each month by the skin of your checkbook.
7. Connecticut
Median household income per paycheck: $2,744.08
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $525.21
Percentage of leftover income: 19.14 percent
Food and housing will eat up your money here. Be prepared to spend $333.69 per paycheck for food—the third-highest level in the country—and then fork over (no pun intended) another 40 percent of what's left for housing.
And health care? Figure on $200 per paycheck.
Of course, considering the wealthy neighborhoods in the Nutmeg State (including Yale University and lots of hedge funds), it's hardly surprising.
6. Maryland
Median household income per paycheck: $2,917.19
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $474.93
Percentage of leftover income: 16.28 percent
Don't call it "my Maryland" unless you're prepared to pay for it.
While the median household income, at $75,847, is the highest in the country, you won't get to keep it for long. Housing alone will eat up nearly half of whatever paycheck you manage to get.
5. Alaska
Median household income per paycheck: $2,821.35
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $440.51
Percentage of leftover income: 15.61 percent
According to a separate study by GoBankingRates.com, Alaska is one of the most expensive places to live in, particularly if you're a retiree.
The state does have a pretty substantial median household income of $73,355, but the cost of living can take care of that before you can say "grizzly bear."
Food, housing and transportation expenses, for instance, will devour about 70 percent of each paycheck.
Then there's the high cost of health care, accounting for close to another 10 percent of that check. So you're left with about 20 percent of what might once have been a respectable paycheck to take care of utilities—and they'll run well over $200 per paycheck.
4. Massachusetts
Median household income per paycheck: $2,716.46
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $361.76
Percentage of leftover income: 13.32 percent
You'll probably earn a pretty penny in Massachusetts, which has one of the highest household incomes in the country. But that won't save you from high housing and health care costs.
While home values and prices bottomed out in Massachusetts in 2012, they've recovered substantially, pushing the median listing price above $380,000 as of November 2016, according to Zillow data.
That will eat up approximately $1,260.03 per paycheck just for housing—and that's almost half of their earnings. Health care costs will eat up nearly another 8 percent of those checks, not leaving a whole lot for anything else—certainly not luxuries.
3. New York
Median household income per paycheck: $2,340.38
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $299.91
Percentage of leftover income: 12.81 percent
New York is not a cheap place to live (though NYC was certainly more affordable when the above publicity photo was taken in 1947). While California may have it beat for expensive homes, the Empire State will still cost you $1,154.17 per paycheck, wiping out almost 50 percent of your paycheck.
But wait, it gets worse. After you've paid for your home and then your cost of living expenses, you'll have maybe $300 left over—not much of a cushion against emergencies.
2. California
Median household income per paycheck: $2,480.77
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $161.59
Percentage of leftover income: 6.51 percent
We did warn you—California has horrendous housing costs, and will eat up more than half of a median paycheck, costing $1,277.75.
Transportation costs will nail you too, burning another 17 percent of that check. And if those two weren't enough to convince you to call the movers, the cost of living here is one of the highest in the country.
1. Hawaii
Median household income per paycheck: $2,826.38
Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: -$367.09
Percentage of leftover income: -12.99 percent
The Big Kahuna of expensive states to live in, Hawaii will eat up your income faster than you can say Liliuokalani. Note the negative numbers in the "leftover income" line above: It has the highest cost of living in the country.
For the second year in a row, Hawaii has won the dubious honor of being the No. 1 state where you're most likely to live paycheck to paycheck.
Although the state has the second-highest median household income in the nation ($73,486), the cost of food, housing, transportation and utilities per paycheck are nothing to sneeze at, with utilities costing more than double the U.S. average. Well, you could always go live on the beach…
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
