This is the Salary Single People Need in Idaho to Be Comfortable

Life doesn’t always go the way we planned. Long-term relationships or marriages end. Job opportunities pop up that require relocating or living apart from your partner. Living alone can feel like an empowering stepping stone into a new season of independence. But if you’re starting that journey in Idaho’s current economic climate? It can feel really overwhelming, too. 

Without getting into the weeds, there have been several times in the past few years that I’ve found myself searching for a one or two-bedroom apartment.  When I relocated to Boise, I lived alone pretty comfortably for the first six years. 

READ MORE: Boise's Rising Rental Prices Have Residents Fleeing to 9 Appealing Cities

In 2016, the apartment complex I was living in at the time was about to hike my rent again. This time it was to a price where I knew that without a raise, the quality of life that I had been enjoying would have to change pretty radically.

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Around the same time, my boyfriend (who’s now my husband) found out his roommate was moving out and his rent was about to jump, too. That’s when we decided to move in together to save some money. 

Today? I’m not quite sure I could support myself comfortably if something were to happen where we were no longer living together. And a recent SmartAsset study confirmed that fear. 

How Did SmartAsset Calculate the Salary Single People Need to Live Comfortably?

SmartAsset calculated the minimum salary a single person would need to make to live comfortably based on something called a 50/30/20 budget. The formula is:

• 50% of income to necessities (like rent, groceries, utilities)
• 30% to discretionary spending (like hobbies, dining out and travel) 
• 20% to savings (for retirement, paying off debt, etc) 

When they crunched the numbers, these five states were the most difficult to live in comfortably if you’re single and living alone: 

1. Hawaii - $125,467
2. Massachusetts - $120,141 
3. California - $119,475
4. New York - $114,691
5. Washington - $109,658

How Much Do You Have to Make to Be Comfortable as a Single in Idaho?

According to recent United States Census Bureau Data, about 24% of Idaho households are made up of adults living alone. That includes both those who own their own home and those who are renting.  

The good news? The salary to live comfortably if you’re on your own in Idaho hasn’t reached triple digits yet like it has in neighboring Washington State and Oregon. 

The bad news? It’s still probably more than you’re making. According to SmartAsset, a single person in Idaho needs to make $96,429 in order to live comfortably on their own in Idaho. That’s $52,659 more than the median income for non-family households in Idaho. The latest Census statistics say that number is $43,770.