{"id":4844,"date":"2026-08-18T10:07:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T10:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4844"},"modified":"2026-08-18T10:07:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T10:07:28","slug":"heres-how-much-money-it-takes-to-live-comfortably-in-sc-in-2026-new-study-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4844","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how much money it takes to live comfortably in SC in 2026, new study shows"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It takes a lot more money to pay for basic living expenses and still have enough money to save than it did a decade ago.<\/p>\n

Read more Data center moratorium for 12 months passes in this SC county<\/a><\/p>\n

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The cost of housing, groceries, utilities, car payments \u2014 you name it \u2014 has increased to the point that in some states, a six-figure salary doesn\u2019t guarantee a financially stress-free life.<\/p>\n

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In every state, a single adult now needs at least $80,000 a year to live comfortably. As of July, the median wage for U.S. earners is around $64,000.<\/p>\n

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While wages have mostly kept up with inflation, the income needed for someone to support themselves and their family is out of reach for many. But which states require the highest salary to not live paycheck to paycheck?<\/p>\n

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SmartAsset used data from MIT\u2019s Cost of Living Calculator to gather cost-of-living estimates and determine which states cost more to live in.<\/p>\n

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The lower the state\u2019s rank, the less expensive it is to live comfortably<\/b>. Here\u2019s how much a person needs to make in South Carolina to live comfortably:<\/p>\n

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Income needed to live comfortably as a single adult in SC<\/h2>\n

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South Carolinians don\u2019t need to make as much as those in other states to live without financial stress, according to Smart Asset.<\/p>\n

Read more Did SC budget negotiations sour relationship between House, Senate for next year?<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Palmetto State ranks 29th in the country<\/b> for the income a person needs to live comfortably, sitting right below North Carolina. For a single adult without kids, a $92,934 annual salary<\/b> should at least cover all necessary expenses and leave some additional spending for luxury items or extra vacations.<\/p>\n

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If there are more people in someone\u2019s family, the necessary income increases quite a bit. A family of four needs at least an annual household income of $212,909 to live comfortably.<\/p>\n

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Like almost every other state, SC got more expensive, and it costs more to add more luxury to your life. It is 0.9% more expensive<\/b> to live comfortably than it was last year.<\/p>\n

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Only in six states did it become less expensive to live comfortably year-over-year. These states are Tennessee, Maryland, Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi and Texas.<\/p>\n

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10 cheapest states to live comfortably<\/h2>\n

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The following 10 states ranked at the bottom of the list, which sounds like a bad thing, but it just means the required annual salary to live comfortably for a single person is much lower:<\/p>\n

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