Staying Home to Raise the Family? Here’s What the Working Spouse Needs to Earn – 2025 Study

While the cost of raising a young child can now reach over $40,000 in pre-tax income annually depending on where you live, many families find ways to mitigate some of the larger costs associated with parenthood. This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied. With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child.

With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked U.S. states based on the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child – foregoing the major cost of childcare but also additional income. 

Key Findings

• Hawaiians need to earn the most for one parent to stay at home.  A single earner with a small family in Hawaii needs to earn at least $102,773 to cover the basic expenditures for two adults and a young child. But if both parents are working, $119,226 is needed between the two of them. When a child is in daycare, the annual cost of raising a child in Hawaii is approximately $33,363.
• Californians need to earn at least $97k to support a child and stay-at-home parent. Californians have the second-highest income needed to keep a parent at home at $97,656. If two parents are working, the family needs to earn at least $115,814 to cover everything. Of that income, it is estimated to cost two working parents $35,651 pre-tax dollars per year between childcare, food, transportation, medical care and other expenses.
• For two working parents, income needs to be highest in Massachusetts. The costs for working parents are particularly high in Massachusetts, which has the highest cost of raising a child studywide at $44,221 in pre-tax income. Two working parents must earn a minimum of $124,842 across both of them, or just one working parent can support the family with $97,261.
• It’s most affordable to be a stay-at-home parent in these states. States with the lowest income threshold to support a three-person family on one income include West Virginia ($68,099); Arkansas ($68,141); Mississippi ($70,242); Kentucky ($70,408); and North Dakota ($70,949). 

Income Needed for One Parent to Stay Home

States are ranked based on the estimated income one parent would need to make to allow the other parent to stay home to care for a single young child. 

1. Hawaii

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $102,773
• Income needed across two working parents: $119,226
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $33,363

2. California

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $97,656
• Income needed across two working parents: $115,814
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $35,651

3. Massachusetts

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $97,261
• Income needed across two working parents: $124,842
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $44,221

4. New York

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $92,290
• Income needed across two working parents: $111,363
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $33,280

5. Connecticut

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $90,542
• Income needed across two working parents: $115,398
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $41,808

6. Washington

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $90,459
• Income needed across two working parents: $109,741
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $35,027

7. New Jersey

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $89,918
• Income needed across two working parents: $110,448
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $35,069

8. Maryland

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $87,651
• Income needed across two working parents: $104,458
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $31,283

9. Colorado

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $86,320
• Income needed across two working parents: $108,118
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $34,986

10. New Hampshire

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $85,800
• Income needed across two working parents: $104,374
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $32,739

11. Vermont

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $85,488
• Income needed across two working parents: $109,242
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $38,272

12. Alaska

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $84,594
• Income needed across two working parents: $103,002
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $32,947

13. Arizona

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $84,573
• Income needed across two working parents: $97,635
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $26,624

14. Virginia

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $84,261
• Income needed across two working parents: $98,176
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $28,330

15. Oregon

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $84,074
• Income needed across two working parents: $104,998
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $33,114

16. Rhode Island

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $83,346
• Income needed across two working parents: $102,586
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $32,614

17. Utah

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $82,410
• Income needed across two working parents: $95,098
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $26,957

18. Idaho

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $82,139
• Income needed across two working parents: $92,810
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $24,378

19. Maine

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $81,786
• Income needed across two working parents: $96,720
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $28,912

20. Nevada

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $81,453
• Income needed across two working parents: $96,554
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,123

21. Delaware

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $80,600
• Income needed across two working parents: $91,686
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $24,544

22. Pennsylvania

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $80,059
• Income needed across two working parents: $98,842
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $31,741

23. Illinois

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $79,102
• Income needed across two working parents: $94,765
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,206

24. Montana

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $79,082
• Income needed across two working parents: $94,723
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $28,954

25. Florida

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $78,998
• Income needed across two working parents: $90,730
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $24,045

26. Minnesota

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $78,000
• Income needed across two working parents: $98,675
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $33,197

27. Georgia

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $77,563
• Income needed across two working parents: $87,901
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,299

28. Wyoming

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $76,045
• Income needed across two working parents: $86,112
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $22,755

29. North Carolina

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $75,608
• Income needed across two working parents: $88,026
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $23,587

30. Tennessee

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $75,525
• Income needed across two working parents: $84,240
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,424

31. New Mexico

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $75,067
• Income needed across two working parents: $89,149
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $25,210

32. Texas

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $74,734
• Income needed across two working parents: $85,238
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $22,672

33. Michigan

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $74,173
• Income needed across two working parents: $85,654
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $23,587

34. Iowa

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $74,006
• Income needed across two working parents: $83,117
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $22,173

35. South Carolina

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,694
• Income needed across two working parents: $85,197
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $23,296

36. Wisconsin

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,507
• Income needed across two working parents: $88,691
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,955

37. Indiana

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,320
• Income needed across two working parents: $89,565
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,914

38. Louisiana

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,258
• Income needed across two working parents: $82,826
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,798

39. Missouri

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,174
• Income needed across two working parents: $87,610
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $26,042

40. Kansas

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,174
• Income needed across two working parents: $83,117
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,757

41. Nebraska

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $72,966
• Income needed across two working parents: $86,902
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $25,709

42. Alabama

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $72,238
• Income needed across two working parents: $81,120
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $20,550

43. South Dakota

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $72,218
• Income needed across two working parents: $81,869
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,174

44. Ohio

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $72,114
• Income needed across two working parents: $88,192
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,706

45. Oklahoma

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $71,718
• Income needed across two working parents: $84,240
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $25,210

46. North Dakota

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $70,949
• Income needed across two working parents: $83,824
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $24,752

47. Kentucky

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $70,408
• Income needed across two working parents: $79,706
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $20,758

48. Mississippi

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $70,242
• Income needed across two working parents: $78,000
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $19,178

49. Arkansas

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $68,141
• Income needed across two working parents: $78,374
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,840

50. West Virginia

• Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $68,099
• Income needed across two working parents: $78,998
• Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $22,422

Data and Methodology

SmartAsset used MIT Living Wage Calculator data to compare the aggregate annual living wage of a household with two working adults and one child to that of one working adult, one stay-at-home parent and one child. The data is as of February 2025. Costs include additions for food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities.

Questions about this study? Contact us at press@smartasset.com

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