How much money couples without kids need to get by in every U.S. state

Working couples with no kids need to earn at least $62,766 to cover their basic needs in the U.S. — far less than families who also need to cover additional expenses like child care.

That's according to a recent analysis by SmartAsset, which looked at the median cost of necessities in each U.S. state, including housing, transportation, health care, taxes and other common expenses, as tracked by the MIT Living Wage calculator. Investment contributions and discretionary expenses like entertainment are not part of these estimates.

In contrast, working couples with one child require a median income of $86,459 to cover their needs. That's mostly due to child-care expenses, which run a median of about $11,500 per year for a single child in the U.S., according to the study.

Couples who are dual-income, no kids — otherwise known as DINKs — also tend to have lower costs for expenses aside from child care, particularly food, housing and transportation.

These extra savings — roughly 20% for each category — come from having one less mouth to feed, but also because couples tend to live in smaller homes and spend less on transportation than they would otherwise.

With fewer expenses, DINKs are often in a better position to save for retirement or splurge on things like travel. But of course, having kids is not entirely a financial decision.

The amount couples need to cover basic expenses varies by state

The difference in income needed to cover basic costs for two working adults varies widely by state, ranging from a high of $76,636 in Hawaii to a low of $54,454 in West Virginia. That's largely due to housing costs and state taxes.

Additionally, housing costs and other basic expenses tend to be much higher in large cities.

For context, the minimum wage is $12 or less per hour in most states, which works out to about $24,960 or less per year for full-time workers. The federal minimum is just $7.25 an hour, which comes to about $15,000 a year for an individual, or $30,000 for a couple — a far cry from the annual income a couple needs to cover basic expenses in most states.

The highest minimum wage in the U.S. is in California, where some fast food workers earn $20 an hour. However, that still doesn't cover the basic needs for a family with one or more children in that state.

Here's a look at how much annual income a couple needs to cover basic needs in every U.S. state.

Alabama

• Working couple with no children: $58,318
• Working couple with one child: $78,919

Alaska

• Working couple with no children: $67,798
• Working couple with one child: $97,336

Arizona

• Working couple with no children: $66,944
• Working couple with one child: $93,603

Arkansas

• Working couple with no children: $54,577
• Working couple with one child: $73,789

California

• Working couple with no children: $75,602
• Working couple with one child: $109,043

Colorado

• Working couple with no children: $69,920
• Working couple with one child: $104,536

Connecticut

• Working couple with no children: $69,794
• Working couple with one child: $108,789

Delaware

• Working couple with no children: $62,947
• Working couple with one child: $92,283

Florida

• Working couple with no children: $63,567
• Working couple with one child: $86,553

Georgia

• Working couple with no children: $64,496
• Working couple with one child: $87,202

Hawaii

• Working couple with no children: $76,636
• Working couple with one child: $118,115

Idaho

• Working couple with no children: $62,628
• Working couple with one child: $86,237

Illinois

• Working couple with no children: $65,064
• Working couple with one child: $92,026

Indiana

• Working couple with no children: $59,836
• Working couple with one child: $83,673

Iowa

• Working couple with no children: $58,263
• Working couple with one child: $84,103

Kansas

• Working couple with no children: $58,773
• Working couple with one child: $80,253

Kentucky

• Working couple with no children: $56,705
• Working couple with one child: $77,128

Louisiana

• Working couple with no children: $57,567
• Working couple with one child: $77,050

Maine

• Working couple with no children: $63,054
• Working couple with one child: $91,261

Maryland

• Working couple with no children: $68,352
• Working couple with one child: $96,154

Massachusetts

• Working couple with no children: $76,237
• Working couple with one child: $118,065

Michigan

• Working couple with no children: $58,768
• Working couple with one child: $85,127

Minnesota

• Working couple with no children: $62,904
• Working couple with one child: $94,693

Mississippi

• Working couple with no children: $56,960
• Working couple with one child: $74,404

Missouri

• Working couple with no children: $58,136
• Working couple with one child: $80,545

Montana

• Working couple with no children: $60,363
• Working couple with one child: $83,877

Nebraska

• Working couple with no children: $58,670
• Working couple with one child: $84,039

Nevada

• Working couple with no children: $64,382
• Working couple with one child: $93,985

New Hampshire

• Working couple with no children: $67,155
• Working couple with one child: $97,876

New Jersey

• Working couple with no children: $70,303
• Working couple with one child: $100,487

New Mexico

• Working couple with no children: $59,442
• Working couple with one child: $81,894

New York

• Working couple with no children: $73,630
• Working couple with one child: $108,461

North Carolina

• Working couple with no children: $61,259
• Working couple with one child: $85,416

North Dakota

• Working couple with no children: $57,189
• Working couple with one child: $80,486

Ohio

• Working couple with no children: $56,945
• Working couple with one child: $82,399

Oklahoma

• Working couple with no children: $55,727
• Working couple with one child: $77,294

Oregon

• Working couple with no children: $69,249
• Working couple with one child: $100,203

Pennsylvania

• Working couple with no children: $63,788
• Working couple with one child: $91,647

Rhode Island

• Working couple with no children: $67,601
• Working couple with one child: $98,788

South Carolina

• Working couple with no children: $59,341
• Working couple with one child: $81,470

South Dakota

• Working couple with no children: $58,568
• Working couple with one child: $78,711

Tennessee

• Working couple with no children: $58,544
• Working couple with one child: $79,299

Texas

• Working couple with no children: $60,091
• Working couple with one child: $82,285

Utah

• Working couple with no children: $64,468
• Working couple with one child: $88,135

Vermont

• Working couple with no children: $66,731
• Working couple with one child: $97,273

Virginia

• Working couple with no children: $65,582
• Working couple with one child: $92,875

Washington

• Working couple with no children: $71,238
• Working couple with one child: $101,909

West Virginia

• Working couple with no children: $54,424
• Working couple with one child: $76,231

Wisconsin

• Working couple with no children: $58,938
• Working couple with one child: $86,364

Wyoming

• Working couple with no children: $60,577
• Working couple with one child: $82,599

Want to be a successful, confident communicator? Take CNBC's new online course Become an Effective Communicator: Master Public Speaking. We'll teach you how to speak clearly and confidently, calm your nerves, what to say and not say, and body language techniques to make a great first impression. Sign up today and use code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off through July 10, 2024.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.