How Much $$ You Need to Be Financially Comfortable in NJ

Revealed! The results are in. Analysis by SmartAsset tells us how much money you need to earn to live comfortably in New Jersey.

What Does Living Comfortably Mean?

SmartAsset defined 'comfortable' as being able to live by the 50/30/20 budget rule.

This allocates 50 percent of earnings for necessities such as housing, food and utilities, 30 percent for discretionary spending (this is the fun stuff) and 20 percent for savings, investments, and paying off debt.

This statistic is depressing for single folks.

The national median for living comfortably alone is $89,461, which means that a balanced 50/30/20 budget is out of reach for Americans living in 25 states.

And, yes, that includes New Jersey.

New Jersey is the 7th Most Expensive State to Live Comfortably

Here's what the analysis says about New Jersey.

- A single working adult needs $103,002 to live comfortably

- Two working working adults raising two children( exactly my situation) need a salary of $251,180(not exactly my situation).

Where's It Even More Expensive Than New Jersey?

In six states you have to make even more money to live comfortably than in NJ, according to the research.

From #6 to #2 they are Colorado, Washington, New York, California, Hawaii, and...

.#1- Massachusetts, where a single person needs a salary of $116,022 and a couple with two kids needs $301,184. Ouch!

Where Are the "Cheapest" States to Lite Comfortably?

The study found West Virginia is the state that requires the lowest income.

A single adult needs a salary of $78,790 to live comfortably in the state - or an estimated $37.88 per hour pre-tax.

The second cheapest state was Arkansas, where a salary of $79,456 was required.

While I like the bottom line numbers from these two states more than New Jersey, I won't be packing up and moving to Arkansas or West Virginia anytime soon.

The truth is, I like New Jersey.

I guess you get what you pay for.