How much do you need to make in KY to ‘live comfortably’? What one analysis says

A single adult in Kentucky needs to make more than twice the median per capita income to “live comfortably” in 2025, according to a recent report from finance website SmartAsset.

The June 4 report used data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator, and considered a budget with 50% of income going to necessities, 30% for discretionary spending and 20% for long-term goals such as retirement or debt repayment to evaluate what’s considered “living comfortably.”

SmartAsset defines living comfortably as “being able to afford hobbies, vacations, retirement savings, education funds, and the occasional emergency — in addition to necessities like housing, groceries, transportation and medical expenses.”

Families need to see an income increase each year to maintain the same lifestyle under inflation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the overall 12-month inflation rate is 2.7% as of June, with steeper increases for some categories, such as food and shelter.

Although the statewide median per capita income of $36,323 is not enough to “live comfortably” under SmartAsset’s definition, some Kentucky counties have much higher typical salaries. Oldham, Spencer, Boone, Kenton and Shelby counties are the Bluegrass State’s wealthiest, according to another report from SmartAsset.

Conversely, the 10 poorest counties in Kentucky have significantly lower typical incomes. Magoffin County was named the poorest in Kentucky, according to SmartAsset, with a median income of $31,927 and a poverty rate of 29.2%.

Here’s what it takes to live comfortably in Kentucky, according to the finance website.

What’s a comfortable income in Kentucky?

A single adult in Kentucky needs to make $83,574 per year to live comfortably, SmartAsset reports, while a family of four would need an income of $192,941. Kentucky ranked 46th for the highest income needed for an individual, and 49th for the income needed for a family.

Since SmartAsset calculated the wage needed to “live comfortably,” it’s quite a bit higher than what MIT calculates as the state’s “living wage,” or just enough to cover essentials such as food, housing, medical care, transportation and more. MIT reports a living wage for an individual in Kentucky is $41,787.20.

Here’s how the top 25 states compared for the highest income needed for an individual:

1. Hawaii: $124,467 annual income for an individual to live comfortably

2. Massachusetts: $120,141

3. California: $119,475

4. New York: $114,691

5. Washington: $109,658

6. New Jersey: $108,992

7. Maryland: $108,867

8. Virginia: $106,704

9. Colorado: $105,955

10. Connecticut: $105,165

11. Oregon: $104,666

12. New Hampshire: $103,085

13. Arizona: $101,587

14. Rhode Island: $101,338

15. Alaska: $100,298

16. Vermont: $99,632

17. Georgia: $99,590

18. Utah: $99,466

19. Nevada: $99,216

20. Illinois: $98,010

21. Delaware: $97,469

22. Florida: $97,386

23. Maine: $96,595

24. Idaho: $96,429

25. Pennsylvania: $95,306

Do you have a question about the economy in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Email ask@herald-leader.com or fill out our Know Your Kentucky form.

Meredith Howard

Belleville News-Democrat

Meredith Howard is a service journalist with the Belleville News-Democrat. She is a Baylor University graduate and has previously freelanced with the Illinois Times and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Support my work with a digital subscription

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Jackie Starkey

Lexington Herald-Leader

Jackie Starkey is the service journalism editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader, Centre Daily Times, Belleville News-Democrat and The Wichita Eagle. She is a graduate of UNC Asheville and worked as a political reporter and managing editor in coastal North Carolina. She is based at the Herald-Leader in Lexington, and has a particular focus on civic engagement and elections.