Mapped: Where Americans Keep The Most Of Their Paycheck

Mapped: Where Americans Keep the Most of Their Paycheck

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How much of your paycheck do you actually keep?

In some states, families keep about a third of their income after covering essentials and taxes. In others, almost all of it goes toward bills.

Using data from the Common Sense Institute, this map shows the share of income a median U.S. family of four has left after paying for housing, food, childcare, insurance, and taxes.

In top-ranked states like Iowa, households keep nearly 35% of their income, about $2,900 per month. In Hawaii, that figure drops to just 9%. That’s a difference of more than $2,000 per month in disposable income.

Ranked: The States Where Your Paycheck Goes the Furthest

Midwestern states dominate the rankings, largely due to lower housing and childcare costs.

Iowa ranks first, with households keeping 34.7% of their income, followed by South Dakota (34.6%) and North Dakota (33.5%).

This table shows the share of income left for a median-income family of four in 2025, after accounting for shelter, utilities, groceries, health and car insurance, childcare, and gas. Taxes reflect combined state and federal income taxes.

Rank	State	Share of Income Left After Expenses and Taxes
--	U.S. Average	24.7%
1	Iowa	34.7%
2	South Dakota	34.6%
3	North Dakota	33.5%
4	Kansas	33.4%
5	Alaska	33.3%
6	Ohio	31.7%
7	Missouri	31.5%
8	Wyoming	31.3%
9	Mississippi	30.9%
10	Kentucky	29.5%
11	Indiana	29.1%
12	Arkansas	29.0%
13	West Virginia	28.7%
14	Tennessee	28.3%
15	New Mexico	27.7%
16	Vermont	27.4%
17	Alabama	27.2%
18	Washington	26.7%
19	Idaho	26.5%
20	Minnesota	26.2%
21	Montana	26.1%
22	Michigan	25.7%
23	North Carolina	25.4%
24	Georgia	25.3%
25	Connecticut	25.2%
26	Virginia	25.0%
27	New Hampshire	24.7%
28	Illinois	24.3%
29	Oklahoma	24.2%
30	Wisconsin	24.0%
31	Pennsylvania	23.8%
32	Louisiana	23.8%
33	South Carolina	23.8%
34	Utah	23.6%
35	Texas	23.6%
36	Nebraska	23.5%
37	Delaware	22.4%
38	Maine	21.5%
39	Nevada	21.2%
40	Maryland	20.5%
41	New Jersey	20.4%
42	Colorado	20.2%
43	Rhode Island	20.0%
44	Arizona	19.6%
45	Florida	18.1%
46	Oregon	16.8%
47	New York	16.2%
48	Massachusetts	16.0%
49	California	10.9%
50	Hawaii	9.0%

Several other states, including Ohio, Missouri, and Wyoming, also rank near the top, with residents keeping around 30% or more of their income.

Texas stands out as the most affordable large state, yet still ranks just 39th overall. Despite having no state income tax, lower median incomes and rising living costs limit how much households actually keep. Taxes alone don’t define affordability.

Where Americans Keep the Least Income After Bills

In the least affordable states, families spend up to 91% of their income on essentials and taxes, leaving little room for savings or unexpected expenses.

Hawaii families are most strained, with 9% of income left, followed by California at 10.9%. Between 2019 and 2025, California households saw one of the largest declines in affordability across states.

Massachusetts, despite high incomes, ranks near the bottom. Childcare alone consumes 24% of household income, showing how a single cost category can erode income advantages.

Rising Costs Across Basic Necessities

Household budgets have tightened in recent years.

Since 2019, essential expenses have risen by about $15,400 per year for the average family. While incomes increased 30.7% over the same period, most of those gains were offset by higher costs:

• Shelter and utilities: +33.9%
• Groceries: +25.1%
• Health insurance: +22.8%
• Car insurance: +40.9%
• Gas: +16.5%
• Childcare: +39%

For many households, higher earnings haven’t increased flexibility. They’ve just kept up.

As costs continue to rise unevenly across regions, where Americans live is becoming one of the biggest determinants of financial stability, potentially reshaping migration patterns, housing demand, and long-term economic opportunity.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the number of years it takes to save for a home by state.