Staying home to raise the family? Here’s what the working spouse needs to earn
While the cost of raising a young child can now reach over $40,000 in pre-tax income annually, depending on where you live, many families find ways to mitigate some of the larger costs associated with parenthood. This often includes considerations about who will work in the household and whether young children will require paid daycare services while their parents are occupied. With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child.
With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked U.S. states based on the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child — foregoing the major cost of childcare, but also additional income.
Key Findings
Hawaiians need to earn the most for one parent to stay at home. A single earner with a small family in Hawai‘i needs to earn at least $102,773 to cover the basic expenditures for two adults and a young child. But if both parents are working, $119,226 is needed between the two of them. When a child is in daycare, the annual cost of raising a child in Hawai‘i is approximately $33,363.
Californians need to earn at least $97,000 to support a child and a stay-at-home parent. Californians have the second-highest income needed to keep a parent at home at $97,656. If two parents are working, the family needs to earn at least $115,814 to cover everything. Of that income, it is estimated to cost two working parents $35,651 pre-tax dollars per year between childcare, food, transportation, medical care and other expenses.
For two working parents, income needs to be highest in Massachusetts. The costs for working parents are particularly high in Massachusetts, which has the highest cost of raising a child study-wide at $44,221 in pre-tax income. Two working parents must earn a minimum of $124,842 across both of them, or just one working parent can support the family with $97,261.
It’s most affordable to be a stay-at-home parent in these states. States with the lowest income threshold to support a three-person family on one income include West Virginia ($68,099); Arkansas ($68,141); Mississippi ($70,242); Kentucky ($70,408); and North Dakota ($70,949).
SmartAsset
Income Needed to Keep One Parent at Home
States are ranked based on the estimated income one parent would need to make to allow the other parent to stay home to care for a single young child.
Hawai‘i
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $102,773
Income needed across two working parents: $119,226
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $33,363
California
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $97,656
Income needed across two working parents: $115,814
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $35,651
Massachusetts
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $97,261
Income needed across two working parents: $124,842
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $44,221
New York
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $92,290
Income needed across two working parents: $111,363
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $33,280
Connecticut
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $90,542
Income needed across two working parents: $115,398
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $41,808
Washington
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $90,459
Income needed across two working parents: $109,741
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $35,027
New Jersey
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $89,918
Income needed across two working parents: $110,448
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $35,069
Maryland
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $87,651
Income needed across two working parents: $104,458
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $31,283
Colorado
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $86,320
Income needed across two working parents: $108,118
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $34,986
New Hampshire
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $85,800
Income needed across two working parents: $104,374
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $32,739
Vermont
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $85,488
Income needed across two working parents: $109,242
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $38,272
Alaska
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $84,594
Income needed across two working parents: $103,002
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $32,947
Arizona
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $84,573
Income needed across two working parents: $97,635
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $26,624
Virginia
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $84,261
Income needed across two working parents: $98,176
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $28,330
Oregon
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $84,074
Income needed across two working parents: $104,998
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $33,114
Rhode Island
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $83,346
Income needed across two working parents: $102,586
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $32,614
Utah
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $82,410
Income needed across two working parents: $95,098
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $26,957
Idaho
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $82,139
Income needed across two working parents: $92,810
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $24,378
Maine
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $81,786
Income needed across two working parents: $96,720
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $28,912
Nevada
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $81,453
Income needed across two working parents: $96,554
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,123
Delaware
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $80,600
Income needed across two working parents: $91,686
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $24,544
Pennsylvania
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $80,059
Income needed across two working parents: $98,842
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $31,741
Illinois
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $79,102
Income needed across two working parents: $94,765
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,206
Montana
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $79,082
Income needed across two working parents: $94,723
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $28,954
Florida
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $78,998
Income needed across two working parents: $90,730
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $24,045
Minnesota
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $78,000
Income needed across two working parents: $98,675
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $33,197
Georgia
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $77,563
Income needed across two working parents: $87,901
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,299
Wyoming
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $76,045
Income needed across two working parents: $86,112
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $22,755
North Carolina
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $75,608
Income needed across two working parents: $88,026
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $23,587
Tennessee
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $75,525
Income needed across two working parents: $84,240
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,424
New Mexico
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $75,067
Income needed across two working parents: $89,149
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $25,210
Texas
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $74,734
Income needed across two working parents: $85,238
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $22,672
Michigan
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $74,173
Income needed across two working parents: $85,654
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $23,587
Iowa
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $74,006
Income needed across two working parents: $83,117
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $22,173
South Carolina
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,694
Income needed across two working parents: $85,197
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $23,296
Wisconsin
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,507
Income needed across two working parents: $88,691
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,955
Indiana
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,320
Income needed across two working parents: $89,565
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,914
Louisiana
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,258
Income needed across two working parents: $82,826
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,798
Missouri
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,174
Income needed across two working parents: $87,610
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $26,042
Kansas
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $73,174
Income needed across two working parents: $83,117
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,757
Nebraska
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $72,966
Income needed across two working parents: $86,902
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $25,709
Alabama
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $72,238
Income needed across two working parents: $81,120
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $20,550
South Dakota
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $72,218
Income needed across two working parents: $81,869
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,174
Ohio
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $72,114
Income needed across two working parents: $88,192
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $27,706
Oklahoma
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $71,718
Income needed across two working parents: $84,240
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $25,210
North Dakota
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $70,949
Income needed across two working parents: $83,824
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $24,752
Kentucky
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $70,408
Income needed across two working parents: $79,706
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $20,758
Mississippi
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $70,242
Income needed across two working parents: $78,000
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $19,178
Arkansas
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $68,141
Income needed across two working parents: $78,374
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $21,840
West Virginia
Single income needed for one parent to stay home: $68,099
Income needed across two working parents: $78,998
Cost of raising a child for two working parents: $22,422
Data and 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 2025. Costs include additions for food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities.
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