Income
California vs Maine: Income Needed to Live Alone
Maine requires less annual income for one adult than California by $22,880.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for income needed to live alone.
California
#48 · $119,475/yr
Maine
#28 · $96,595/yr
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Income Needed to Live Alone
Lower is better
#1
West Virginia
$80,829/yr
West Virginia
#2
Arkansas
$81,078/yr
Arkansas
#3
South Dakota
$82,160/yr
South Dakota
#4
North Dakota
$82,285/yr
North Dakota
#5
Kentucky
$83,574/yr
Kentucky
#6
Oklahoma
$84,282/yr
Oklahoma
#7
Ohio
$84,781/yr
Ohio
#8
Alabama
$85,280/yr
Alabama
#9
Louisiana
$85,322/yr
Louisiana
#10
Mississippi
$86,320/yr
Mississippi
Selected states
#48
California
$119,475/yr
California
#28
Maine
$96,595/yr
Maine
California ranks 48th and Maine ranks 28th nationally for income needed to live alone.
What this means
California vs Maine: Income Needed to Live Alone in context
Maine's income needed to live alone is $96,595/yr, compared with $119,475/yr in California. Estimated annual income a single adult needs to cover basic living costs in 2025.
California
$119,475/yr
Maine
$96,595/yr
Difference
$22,880
People also ask
California vs Maine Income Needed to Live Alone — common questions
QWhat is California's income needed to live alone?
California's income needed to live alone is $119,475/yr.
QWhat is Maine's income needed to live alone?
Maine's income needed to live alone is $96,595/yr.
QWhich state has a lower income needed to live alone — California or Maine?
Maine requires less annual income for one adult than California by $22,880.
More comparisons: California vs Maine
Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.
Explore each state
Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
2025
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Annual income estimate for one adult, copied from the maintained ranking table.