SmartAsset Puts Utah’s Comfortable Living Price Tag At $102,794
For years, six figures was shorthand for doing pretty well financially. In Utah in 2026, however, $100,000 is apparently closer to the starting line.
A new analysis by SmartAsset estimates that a single adult in Utah needs an annual pre-tax income of $102,794 to live “comfortably.” That puts Utah 17th among the 50 states, and represents a 3.3% increase from the 2025 estimate.
The Numbers Are More Than Just Keeping A Roof Overhead
SmartAsset’s definition of comfortable is worth noting. The calculation uses the 50/30/20 budgeting rule, with 50% of income going toward necessities, 30% toward discretionary spending and 20% toward savings and debt repayment. In other words, this isn't simply the salary needed to keep a roof over your head and food in the refrigerator. It includes having some money left over to enjoy life and prepare for the future.
Still, $102,794 is a significant number, particularly in a state that has long enjoyed a reputation for being a relatively affordable place to live. And if you're curious as to the cost for being comfortable in Utah with a family of four in the state that number rises toa staggering $235,789!
Utah isn't among the nation's most expensive states, but neither is it particularly cheap anymore. A single adult needs more than $100,000 to live comfortably in Utah, compared with $90,563 in Texas and $98,176 in Idaho. Nevada comes in at $100,506, while Arizona requires $101,795.
At the top of the list is Hawaii, where a single adult needs an estimated $129,002 to maintain the SmartAsset definition of a comfortable lifestyle. Massachusetts is second at $127,213, followed by California at $126,797. New York and New Jersey also crack the $110,000 mark.
At the other end of the spectrum is West Virginia, where the required income is $81,245. That means even the nation's least expensive state, according to this measure, requires more than $80,000 a year for a single adult to live comfortably.
The Utah figure should also be viewed as a statewide benchmark rather than a precise Cedar City household budget. Housing, wages and other expenses can vary considerably between northern Utah and communities in the state's rural and southern regions.
Read More: Utah's Most Affordable Place Is In Southern Utah
But the broader message is difficult to miss. SmartAsset says an income below $80,000 is no longer enough to meet its definition of comfortable living in any state.
So if you thought $100,000 was a pretty good salary, don't feel bad. It still is. It's just that these days, apparently, “pretty good” and “comfortable” aren't necessarily the same thing.
LOOK: Average salary needed to get by in every U.S. state
Gallery Credit: Mike Brant
