You need a six-figure-plus salary just to survive like a normal family, and the kicker is the system treats that as ordinary. No wonder the birth rate is tanking when raising kids is basically a luxury tax.
Income needed for a family of 4:
1. Massachusetts: $313,747
2. Hawaii: $294,362
3. Connecticut: $290,368
4. California: $287,456
5. New Jersey: $282,714…maybe this is why people aren’t rushing to have kids.
— theficouple (@theficouple) January 3, 2026
The Economic Policy Institute’s updated 2024 Family Budget Calculator shows that in San Francisco, a basic budget for a two-parent, two-child household is about $211,473 per year — and even the very high local median family income (about $176,676) is still not enough for a modest but adequate standard of living for a family of four