This is how much money you would have to earn to live if you’re single in these 6 cities in California: It’s almost impossible Not splitting living costs and missing out on various benefits can make single life expensive, especially in the Golden State.

 

We’re often told having children is incredibly expensive in the modern world, but it turns out being single isn’t that cheap either, certainly not in parts of California.

Not being able to split living costs, and missing out on tax and other financial benefits are thought to be among the main reasons, and singletons in the Golden State appear to be the ones suffering the most. Or at least forced to shell out the most.

A study published by GoBakingRates.com looking into the living wage a single person needs to get by in places across the United States shows that six of the 10 least affordable cities are in California, based on factors such as annual expenditure cost and average annual mortgage cost.

The least affordable US cities for single people

Irvine leads the way, with $265,651 required per year to cover all bases. San Jose and San Francisco are second and third on the list respectively, and the only other cities in the United States where you’ll need over $200,000 to survive.

Also in the top 10 are San Diego ($199,032), Los Angeles ($182,037) and the much more affordable Anaheim ($171,247),

Income required in the least affordable US cities for single people

1. Irvine, California: $265,651
2. San Jose, California: $246,220
3. San Francisco: $241,017
4. Honolulu: $232,438
5. San Diego, California: $199,032
6. Los Angeles, California: $182,037
7. Arlington, Virginia: $180,983
8. Seattle, Washington: $171,495
9. Anaheim, California: $171,247
10. Scottsdale, Arizona: $169,647
     
     

Most affordable US cities for single people

You perhaps won’t be surprised to read that no Californian cities appear on the list of the most affordable for single people in the US.

That ranking is headed by Detroit, where an annual income of only $49,039 is reportedly required.

Income required in most affordable US cities for single people

1. Detroit, Michigan: $49,039
2. Cleveland, Ohio: $53,993
3. Toledo, Ohio: $55,245
4. Memphis, Tennessee: $59,573
5. St. Louis, Missouri: $62,340
6. Baltimore, Maryland: $65,528
7. El Paso, Texas: $66,432
8. Tulsa, Oklahoma: $67,625
9. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: $67,696
10. Fort Wayne, Indiana: $68,232