Massachusetts Tops the Cost-to-Live Ranking

Massachusetts ranked as the nation's most expensive state for a family of four to live comfortably, holding that spot for the second straight year.
The required annual income for a Massachusetts family of four reached $329.6K, up from $313.7K yearly under the budgeting formula used in the study.
For single people, Massachusetts ranked second nationwide, with comfortable living requiring $127.2K a year for one person, a yearly increase of ↑5.9%.
The benchmark started with minimum basic needs for full-time workers, then applied a standard budget rule dividing income among essentials, discretionary spending, and savings.
That placed Massachusetts at the top of the family ranking and near the top for singles, underscoring how much income households needed.