How much do you need to make in PA to ‘live comfortably?’ What one analysis says
A single adult in Pennsylvania needs to make more than twice the median per capita income to “live comfortably” in 2025, according to a recent report from finance website SmartAsset.
The June 4 report used data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator, and considered a budget with 50% of income going to necessities, 30% for discretionary spending and 20% for long-term goals such as retirement or debt repayment to evaluate what’s considered “living comfortably.”
SmartAsset defines living comfortably as “being able to afford hobbies, vacations, retirement savings, education funds, and the occasional emergency — in addition to necessities like housing, groceries, transportation and medical expenses.”
Families need to see an income increase each year to maintain the same lifestyle under inflation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the overall 12-month inflation rate is 2.7% as of June, with steeper increases for some categories, such as food and shelter.
Although the statewide median per capita income of $43,501 is not enough to “live comfortably” under SmartAsset’s definition, some Pennsylvania counties have much higher typical salaries. Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware and Cumberland counties are the Keystone State’s wealthiest, according to another report from SmartAsset.
Conversely, the 10 poorest counties in Pennsylvania have significantly lower typical incomes. Cameron County was named the poorest in Pennsylvania, according to SmartAsset, with a median income of $46,186 and a poverty rate of 15.3%.
Here’s what it takes to live comfortably in Pennsylvania, according to the finance website.
What’s a comfortable income in Pennsylvania?
A single adult in Pennsylvania needs to make $95,306 per year to live comfortably, SmartAsset reports, while a family of four would need an income of $248,435. Pennsylvania ranked 25th for the highest income needed for an individual, and 16th for the income needed for a family.
Since SmartAsset calculated the wage needed to “live comfortably,” it’s quite a bit higher than what MIT calculates as the state’s “living wage,” or just enough to cover essentials such as food, housing, medical care, transportation and more. MIT reports a living wage for an individual in Pennsylvania is $47,652.80.
Here’s how Pennsylvania compared to the other states in the top 25 for the highest income needed for an individual:
Hawaii: $124,467 annual income for an individual to live comfortably
Massachusetts: $120,141
California: $119,475
New York: $114,691
Washington: $109,658
New Jersey: $108,992
Maryland: $108,867
Virginia: $106,704
Colorado: $105,955
Connecticut: $105,165
Oregon: $104,666
New Hampshire: $103,085
Arizona: $101,587
Rhode Island: $101,338
Alaska: $100,298
Vermont: $99,632
Georgia: $99,590
Utah: $99,466
Nevada: $99,216
Illinois: $98,010
Delaware: $97,469
Florida: $97,386
Maine: $96,595
Idaho: $96,429
Pennsylvania: $95,306
