Single people in Idaho must earn this much to live comfortably in 2024, new analysis shows

How much does it cost to live comfortably and single in Idaho nowadays?

Spoiler: It isn’t cheap.

A recent analysis by SmartAsset.com used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to gather the basic cost of living for a person with no children in every state. The data includes costs of necessities such as housing, food, transportation, income taxes, and other items.

The analysis then applied the 50/30/20 rule, a practical budgeting guideline, to determine how much an individual must earn to live comfortably in 2024. The rule recommends spending about 50% of your income on basic needs like food and housing, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings or debt.

Idaho’s cost of living

So, where does Idaho fall in the analysis? A single person must earn $88,733 — $42.66 an hour — to cover all basics, wants and savings. That places Idaho as the 27th-most expensive state to live in comfortably.

Two adults and a child

The analysis also determined the amount two parents with a single child would need to earn to live comfortably. In Idaho, that cost is $211,245 a year.

The higher living costs don’t come as a complete surprise, given the general rise in the prices of necessities over the past year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index , over the last 12 months, the average cost of all items listed rose 3.5%. That includes food, which rose 2.2%; shelter, which increased 5.7%; and gasoline, which increased 1.3%.

Costs in other states

Massachusetts took the top spot as the most expensive state to live in comfortably. A single adult must earn $116,022 or $55.78 an hour to cover basics, wants and savings.

Meanwhile, West Virginia is ranked as the least-expensive state in which singles can live comfortably. To do so, a single individual must earn $78,790 — $37.88 an hour.

If you’re looking to stay around the northwest but want to find somewhere cheaper, your best bet would be Montana. Big Sky County is ranked as the 33rd most expensive state, with a single adult needing to earn $40.74 or $84,739 to live comfortably alone.