Income
California vs Texas: Income Needed to Live Alone
Texas requires less annual income for one adult than California by $28,704.
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
Texas
#20 · $90,771/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
#20
Texas
$90,771/yr
Texas
California ranks 48th and Texas ranks 20th nationally for income needed to live alone.
What this means
California vs Texas: Income Needed to Live Alone in context
Texas's income needed to live alone is $90,771/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
Texas
$90,771/yr
Difference
$28,704
People also ask
California vs Texas 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 Texas's income needed to live alone?
Texas's income needed to live alone is $90,771/yr.
QWhich state has a lower income needed to live alone — California or Texas?
Texas requires less annual income for one adult than California by $28,704.
More comparisons: California vs Texas
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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.