To meet their basic necessities in the United States, a working couple without children would need to make $62,766 total, which is far less than what couples that have daycare costs must pay.
This is supported by a recent Smart Asset study that examined the median costs of basic requirements in each U.S. state, including housing, transportation, health care, and other costs of maintaining a comfortable standard of life.
The study compared the amount of money single parents and childless couples would require to comfortably purchase basic essentials across the country. These figures do not include investment contributions or discretionary costs such as entertainment, as measured by the MIT Living Wage Calculator.
According to the report, single parents raising a single child in California and couples without children would need to earn $75,602 and $99,763, respectively.
Here is the complete breakdown:
- 1 adult, 0 children: $56,825
- 1 adult, 1 child: $99,763
- 1 adult, 2 children: $128,091
- 1 adult, 3 children: $170,895
- 2 adults (1 working), 0 children: $75,602
- 2 adults (1 working), 1 child: $91,759
- 2 adults (1 working), 2 children: $102,122
- 2 adults (1 working), 3 children: $113,388
- 2 adults (2 working), 0 children: $75,602
- 2 adults (2 working), 1 child: $109,043
- 2 adults (2 working), 2 children: $138,357
- 2 adults (2 working), 3 children: $167,415
According to research, Massachusetts is the state with the highest number of single parents.
“Merely needs for a single parent’s family consist of $109,111 for one child, $140,222 for two, and $178,113 for three. According to a Smart Asset spokesman, Jaclyn DeJohn, families with two working parents raising two or three children will require $150,578 and $176,107, respectively.
However, it was shown that Arkansas was the most reasonably priced state for households with just one child.
Here is the full breakdown, broken down by state.
Matt Pinner is a dedicated journalist for WVPrepBB.com, specializing in USA and crime news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for uncovering the truth, Matt brings timely and insightful reporting to his readers. His work on WVPrepBB.com keeps the community informed and engaged with the latest developments in national news and criminal justice.
