The post Where It’s Most Affordable to Be a Stay-at-Home Parent, According to New Data first appeared on Crafting Your Home.
For families considering having one parent stay home with a young child, the decision can depend on more than personal preference. Household income, everyday expenses, and child care costs can all affect whether living on one income is realistic.
A new analysis from SmartAsset looks at that question across the United States, estimating how much a working parent would need to earn to support a partner and one child while the other parent stays home.
The results show a wide gap between states. In some places, a household may need a working parent earning more than $100,000 annually. In others, the estimated threshold is below $70,000.
Arkansas has the lowest estimated income requirement.
According to SmartAsset’s 2026 analysis, Arkansas is the most affordable state for a family with one stay-at-home parent, based on the income needed to support two adults and one child.
The estimated annual income needed from the working parent is $68,869.
That puts Arkansas at the bottom of the ranking for the income required to maintain this particular three-person, single-income household. Mississippi follows at $70,054, while Kentucky comes next at $70,179.
The five states with the lowest estimated income requirements are:
- Arkansas: $68,869
- Mississippi: $70,054
- Kentucky: $70,179
- West Virginia: $70,216
- Oklahoma: $70,947
These figures reflect the estimated income needed for a working parent under SmartAsset’s methodology; they do not guarantee that every family in those states can live comfortably on that amount.
Southern states dominate the lower end of the ranking.
One noticeable pattern is how many Southern states appear among the most affordable locations for a single-income family.
Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Oklahoma all rank near the bottom of the income requirement scale. The figures reflect the estimated cost of supporting a household with two adults and one child while avoiding paid child care because one parent provides care at home.
That doesn’t mean every expense is lower in these states or that staying home is automatically financially easier for every family. Household circumstances can vary considerably depending on housing, transportation, debt, savings, and other expenses.
Hawaii is the most expensive state for this arrangement.
Hawaii ranks at the opposite end of the list.
SmartAsset estimates that the working parent would need to earn $106,496 a year to support a partner and one child while the other parent stays home. Hawaii is the only state in the analysis where the estimated requirement exceeds $105,000.
California ranks second, with an estimated requirement of $101,213.
The difference between Arkansas and Hawaii is substantial: Hawaii’s estimated income requirement is more than $37,000 higher.
What happens when both parents work?
The analysis also considers households in which both parents remain employed.
That comparison matters because working parents generally face child-care expenses that a family with a stay-at-home parent may avoid. At the same time, having one parent leave the workforce means giving up that person’s earnings.
SmartAsset’s analysis therefore isn’t simply ranking states by child-care prices. It compares the estimated income requirements for households with one working parent and households with two working parents.
Massachusetts stands out in this comparison. SmartAsset says a two-working-parent household there needs 31.5% more income than a comparable one-parent household. The analysis attributes that gap in part to the state’s high child-care costs.
The decision isn’t only about child care.
Choosing to become a stay-at-home parent involves financial trade-offs that aren’t captured by a single income threshold.
A household moving from two incomes to one gives up a salary, but it may also eliminate or reduce the need for paid child care. SmartAsset notes that other considerations can include retirement contributions, Social Security earnings history, and employer health benefits.
That’s why the same salary can produce very different results for different families.
A household with relatively low housing costs and little debt, for example, may have a different experience from one with a large mortgage, substantial transportation expenses, or other financial obligations. The state rankings don’t capture those individual circumstances.
What the data really tells families
The biggest takeaway from the analysis is the geographic gap.
The estimated income needed for a working parent supporting a partner and one child ranges from $68,869 in Arkansas to $106,496 in Hawaii. That’s more than $37,000 a year.
For families considering a stay-at-home arrangement, the numbers can provide a useful starting point, but they shouldn’t be treated as a personal budget.y
The more practical question is whether a household’s actual income can cover its specific expenses after one parent leaves paid employment. Child-care savings may be significant, but so can the financial value of the income and workplace benefits being given up.
Ultimately, the most affordable place to be a stay-at-home parent isn’t determined by a state ranking alone. The answer also depends on the household’s own income, expenses, and priorities.
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