Staying home to raise the family? Here’s what the working spouse needs to earn in 2026
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Toby Nelson for SmartAsset
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.
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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.
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
Hawai‘i (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.
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