The salary a single person needs to get by in every U.S. state

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Depending on where you live, the salary you need to get by as a single worker can vary immensely.

In Hawaii, the living wage for single workers is $112,411 — the highest in the U.S. — according to an analysis by personal finance website GOBankingRates.com. To determine the living wage in each state, GOBankingRates calculated the minimum amount a single person would need to follow the 50/30/20 budget, using data from Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Following this outline, 50% of income is used to cover necessities, such as housing and utility costs, 30% goes toward discretionary spending, and 20% is left for savings or investments.

Hawaii’s living wage is more than double what many single people earn, as the U.S median income for single, full-time workers is $57,200, per Labor Bureau data. In Mississippi, however, the living wage is just $45,906, according to GOBankingRates data.

Here’s a look at the five most-costly states for single workers, based on how much money they’d need each year to get by.

1. Hawaii: $112,411
2. Massachusetts: $87,909
3. California: $80,013
4. New York: $73,226
5. Alaska: $71,570

Hawaii ranking first is not surprising, as the cost of living there is typically among the highest in the country. Because Hawaii is an isolated chain of islands, most shipping is done by sea rather than by truck or rail, which increases the cost of consumer goods. Land for real estate is also limited, which has driven up home prices.

Similarly, Massachusetts, California and New York require relatively high living wages, largely due to the fact that Boston, Los Angeles and New York City have some of the highest housing costs in the country.

Looking at the results as a whole, single workers’ median income of $57,200 only covers the living wage in 30 states.

Although the study uses the 50/30/20 budget as a guideline for determining living wage, it isn’t always a realistic measure of what people can afford, primarily because of ever-rising housing costs.

While couples can usually find some cost savings by splitting mortgage or rent costs, there is no such discount for single people, which is why they typically spend thousands more on housing each year, compared with what married or people pay.

Location also plays a role. Individuals who earn around $57,200 can live comfortably in more rural states in the South and Midwest, where living costs are much lower.

Again, a lot of that has to do with housing costs. Median home prices in the South and Midwest are $311,800 and  $366,600, respectively, much less than the overall U.S. median of $410,200, according to National Association of Realtors data.

Here’s a look at the cost of living in each state, in alphabetical order.

• Annual living wage for a single person: $46,577

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