Staying Home to Raise the Family? Here’s What the Working Spouse Needs to Earn – 2026 Study

Raising a child now costs more than $40,000 per year in some U.S. cities, forcing many families to look for ways to manage the rising costs of parenthood. One major decision is whether both parents will remain in the workforce or one will step away to provide care at home. Because that choice reshapes both household earnings and child care expenses, families may look to the minimum income one working parent needs to support the household while the other stays home with a young child.

SmartAsset ranked U.S. states based on the minimum income one working parent needs to support a partner and one child while the other parent stays home. This arrangement eliminates paid child care expenses but reduces the household to a single income. The results show where single-income households can sustain this arrangement most affordably — and where doing so requires substantially higher earnings.

Key Findings

• Single-income earning requirements are highest in Hawaii. One working parent needs to earn $106,496 to support a partner and one child in the Aloha State. California follows at $101,213. These are the only states where the threshold exceeds $100,000.
• Southern states are most affordable for single-income families. Arkansas is the most affordable, with a required annual income of $68,869 for the working parent, about $37,600 less than in No. 1 Hawaii. Mississippi and Kentucky follow at $70,054 and $70,179, respectively.
• Massachusetts has the nation’s largest income gap between the two household arrangements. In the Bay State, a two-working-parent household needs 31.5% more income than a comparable household with one working parent. The gap is driven by Massachusetts’ high child care costs, with the median annual cost of infant care in Middlesex County estimated at more than $27,000 in 2023.
• Mississippi has the smallest earning requirement gap between single-income and dual-income households. A two-working-parent household in the Magnolia State needs to earn just 12.8% more than a single-parent household.

Questions and Answers

How States Measure

Alabama (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $73,341
• One working parent — family income needed: $73,341
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $41,891
• Two working parents — family income needed: $83,782

Alaska (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $89,544
• One working parent — family income needed: $89,544
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $54,995
• Two working parents — family income needed: $109,990

Arizona (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $82,826
• One working parent — family income needed: $82,826
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $48,880
• Two working parents — family income needed: $97,760

Arkansas (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $68,869
• One working parent — family income needed: $68,869
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $40,352
• Two working parents — family income needed: $80,704

California (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $101,213
• One working parent — family income needed: $101,213
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $61,194
• Two working parents — family income needed: $122,387

Colorado (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $86,403
• One working parent — family income needed: $86,403
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $56,035
• Two working parents — family income needed: $112,070

Connecticut (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $91,083
• One working parent — family income needed: $91,083
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $59,322
• Two working parents — family income needed: $118,643

Delaware (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $80,766
• One working parent — family income needed: $80,766
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $46,987
• Two working parents — family income needed: $93,974

Florida (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $80,683
• One working parent — family income needed: $80,683
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $47,029
• Two working parents — family income needed: $94,058

Georgia (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $77,688
• One working parent — family income needed: $77,688
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $44,990
• Two working parents — family income needed: $89,981

Hawaii (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $106,496
• One working parent — family income needed: $106,496
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $63,066
• Two working parents — family income needed: $126,131

Idaho (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $82,306
• One working parent — family income needed: $82,306
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $47,486
• Two working parents — family income needed: $94,973

Illinois (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $81,411
• One working parent — family income needed: $81,411
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $49,754
• Two working parents — family income needed: $99,507

Indiana (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $75,400
• One working parent — family income needed: $75,400
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $48,797
• Two working parents — family income needed: $97,594

Iowa (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $73,424
• One working parent — family income needed: $73,424
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $42,370
• Two working parents — family income needed: $84,739

Kansas (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $75,171
• One working parent — family income needed: $75,171
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $43,534
• Two working parents — family income needed: $87,069

Kentucky (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $70,179
• One working parent — family income needed: $70,179
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $40,518
• Two working parents — family income needed: $81,037

Louisiana (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $71,406
• One working parent — family income needed: $71,406
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $41,288
• Two working parents — family income needed: $82,576

Maine (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $84,781
• One working parent — family income needed: $84,781
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $51,126
• Two working parents — family income needed: $102,253

Maryland (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $83,595
• One working parent — family income needed: $83,595
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $51,605
• Two working parents — family income needed: $103,210

Massachusetts (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $99,965
• One working parent — family income needed: $99,965
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $65,749
• Two working parents — family income needed: $131,498

Michigan (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $76,398
• One working parent — family income needed: $76,398
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $44,762
• Two working parents — family income needed: $89,523

Minnesota (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $80,454
• One working parent — family income needed: $80,454
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $51,813
• Two working parents — family income needed: $103,626

Mississippi (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $70,054
• One working parent — family income needed: $70,054
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $39,520
• Two working parents — family income needed: $79,040

Missouri (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $72,862
• One working parent — family income needed: $72,862
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $44,595
• Two working parents — family income needed: $89,190

Montana (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $85,758
• One working parent — family income needed: $85,758
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $51,064
• Two working parents — family income needed: $102,128

Nebraska (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $74,485
• One working parent — family income needed: $74,485
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $45,386
• Two working parents — family income needed: $90,771

Nevada (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $81,848
• One working parent — family income needed: $81,848
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $49,462
• Two working parents — family income needed: $98,925

New Hampshire (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $88,504
• One working parent — family income needed: $88,504
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $54,642
• Two working parents — family income needed: $109,283

New Jersey (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $91,790
• One working parent — family income needed: $91,790
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $57,907
• Two working parents — family income needed: $115,814

New Mexico (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $76,190
• One working parent — family income needed: $76,190
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $45,822
• Two working parents — family income needed: $91,645

New York (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $94,827
• One working parent — family income needed: $94,827
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $58,490
• Two working parents — family income needed: $116,979

North Carolina (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $75,067
• One working parent — family income needed: $75,067
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $44,678
• Two working parents — family income needed: $89,357

North Dakota (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $71,219
• One working parent — family income needed: $71,219
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $42,910
• Two working parents — family income needed: $85,821

Ohio (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $72,966
• One working parent — family income needed: $72,966
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $45,635
• Two working parents — family income needed: $91,270

Oklahoma (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $71,365
• One working parent — family income needed: $71,365
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $42,931
• Two working parents — family income needed: $85,862

Oregon (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $88,899
• One working parent — family income needed: $88,899
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $56,534
• Two working parents — family income needed: $113,069

Pennsylvania (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $80,662
• One working parent — family income needed: $80,662
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $50,170
• Two working parents — family income needed: $100,339

Rhode Island (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $84,635
• One working parent — family income needed: $84,635
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $53,331
• Two working parents — family income needed: $106,662

South Carolina (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $73,882
• One working parent — family income needed: $73,882
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $43,763
• Two working parents — family income needed: $87,526

South Dakota (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $73,341
• One working parent — family income needed: $73,341
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $42,245
• Two working parents — family income needed: $84,490

Tennessee (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $72,946
• One working parent — family income needed: $72,946
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $41,538
• Two working parents — family income needed: $83,075

Texas (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $72,925
• One working parent — family income needed: $72,925
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $42,515
• Two working parents — family income needed: $85,030

Utah (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $83,242
• One working parent — family income needed: $83,242
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $48,984
• Two working parents — family income needed: $97,968

Vermont (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $84,157
• One working parent — family income needed: $84,157
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $54,662
• Two working parents — family income needed: $109,325

Virginia (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $81,765
• One working parent — family income needed: $81,765
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $49,088
• Two working parents — family income needed: $98,176

Washington (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $90,106
• One working parent — family income needed: $90,106
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $55,848
• Two working parents — family income needed: $111,696

West Virginia (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $70,283
• One working parent — family income needed: $70,283
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $41,475
• Two working parents — family income needed: $82,950

Wisconsin (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $76,690
• One working parent — family income needed: $76,690
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $47,258
• Two working parents — family income needed: $94,515

Wyoming (three-person household)
• One working parent — earnings needed: $76,586
• One working parent — family income needed: $76,586
• Two working parents — earnings needed per parent: $44,096
• Two working parents — family income needed: $88,192

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 2026. Costs include additions for food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities. These figures are statewide point estimates from a single cost model and will differ by county, child age, and household tax/benefit details; they are not sample-based and have no confidence intervals, so states within roughly one percentage point of each other in the ranking should be treated as effectively tied rather than meaningfully ordered. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.