20 States Where People Have Difficulty Making Ends Meet

It’s been said that the average American needs $200,000 in liquid assets to retire. While this number is higher than what many Americans will be saving, it shows how difficult it can be for people in various states to make ends meet.

To see where Americans are struggling the most to keep their heads above water, we analyzed data on household income and costs of living by state. After accounting for median household incomes and cost of living, we identified the states where Americans struggle to make ends meet.

The data is based on a cost of a living index developed by the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. The formula takes the consumer price index for the state in question and divides it by the national consumer price index. This creates an index that shows how much more it costs to live in a specific state than it does across the country. Below are 20 states where Americans are struggling to pay bills.

1. Vermont

At the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, Vermont owed $4.5 billion, or $18,900 per citizen. This number is sure to rise. There have been 11,869 job losses in Vermont since 13th March. Eight thousand nine hundred sixty-four more anticipate joining the ranks of the jobless inside this following four weeks, as of the survey’s administration. A total of 73,361 individuals are experiencing difficulty meeting their basic living needs, which is unfortunately not strange considering these figures. Food insecurity affects thousands of homes, with 2,267 people saying they frequently go hungry.

2. South Carolina

South Carolina owed $20.8 billion before the COVID-19 outbreak. If this cost is passed on to citizens, they will have to pay an additional $13,400 in taxes over the next decade without getting any other benefits or services. Worryingly, many people in South Carolina are having financial difficulties due to the pandemic. There are currently 747,889 people who have financial difficulty meeting their basic living expenses. One hundred and ten thousand and four hundred and sixty persons are also late on their mortgages or rental payments.

3. New York

Thousands of New Yorkers are struggling to make ends meet due to the pandemic. There are over 2.6 million people who are having trouble making ends meet, and an additional 1.8 million are struggling. Sorry to say 98,035 households have reported frequently becoming hungry. There was already a shortfall of $118.2 million in the New York state budget when COVID-19 began. This would probably add an extra $17,200 to the tax bill of each resident.

4. Rhode Island State

It is estimated that Rhode Island will lose $1 billion in income due to the pandemic. Even worse, the state already had $5.8 billion in debts before the pandemic hit, totalling $14,700 per resident. At the moment of the survey, at minimum 17,626 individuals in Rhode Island had left their employment since 13th March, and then another 18,776 were worried they would do so over the next four weeks. It’s regrettably not unexpected that 143,282 individuals are having trouble meeting their basic living expenses in light of these data.

5. Maryland

Many families in Maryland are struggling financially as a result of COVID-19. Currently, 266,962 persons are overdue on loan repayments, and another 110,266 are behind in making their leases. Before the epidemic, Maryland’s debt stood at $15,200 per resident.

6. Pennsylvania

From 13th March, when COVID began winding down operations in the United States, an unprecedented 158,976 people in Pennsylvania lost their employment. A further 123,935 people anticipate being laid off within the following month. As a result, 234,489 mortgage holders and 110,266 renters are late on their repayments throughout the region. Pennsylvania was already $73.8 billion in debt well before the epidemic hit, which might incur taxpayers an additional $16,400 in the long run.

7. Louisiana

Louisiana’s debt of 2020 was estimated to be $21.6 billion, or almost $17,000 for every taxpayer. The outbreak is projected to make this situation considerably worse.

Some 57,598 workers in Louisiana had been laid off since 13th March. Sadly, nearly the same number, 53,876 employees, anticipate losing their employment in the following four weeks. Many locals have trouble making ends meet due to these and other related issues. Unfortunately, at this time, 575,439 individuals have a challenging time meeting even the most basic of monthly financial obligations.

8. Michigan

Before the epidemic, the state’s $56.6 billion burden meant that each taxpayer might face a charge of up to $17,000. Thousands of Michiganders have had significant financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 1.3 million people are making it impossible, and another 766,976 are finding it incredibly tough to pay for basic living costs.

9. California

The state of California was already $275 billion in debt before the epidemic hit, which equates to a cost of $21,100 per citizen. Now, with COVID-19, that gap is expected to expand.
Millions of people living in California have suffered financially due to the outbreak. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 4.3 million people have reported extreme difficulty meeting their basic living expenses. Considering 65,878 families stating they frequently go hungry, it is clear that food insecurity is a severe problem in the United States.

10. Kentucky

As of 13th March, 11,869 people in Kentucky were unemployed. About 8,964 anticipate joining them in the ranks of the unemployed within the following four weeks. As a result, this is probably making it harder for some locals to afford their housing costs. One hundred thirty-eight thousand two hundred fifty-five people’s rent is late right now, while another 8,810 individuals default on their loans. Just before the COVID-19 issue, Kentucky’s overall debt totaled $32.7 billion, which might put a burden of $24,700 on each citizen.

11. Massachusetts

From 13th March, 76,391 people in Massachusetts had lost their employment. In addition, 73,508 persons anticipate joining the jobless ranks in the coming four weeks. The fact that 576,050 individuals are having severe problems making ends meet during the epidemic is not strange considering these figures. Unfortunately, right presently, 27,733 families indicate that they frequently go hungry. Before the epidemic, Massachusetts had accumulated $80.9 billion in debt or an estimated $30,000 per citizen.

12. A New Jersey

Before the epidemic, $189.6 billion of New Jersey’s debt made it the worst-off state financially in the United States. The potential cost to each taxpayer may be astronomical, at $57,900. The people of New Jersey have taken a severe hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. Over a million Americans have difficulty meeting monthly household financial obligations. Three hundred forty-six thousand fifty-two residents are behind on a monthly mortgage, while a further 280,258 renters fell short.

13. Connecticut

As of 2019, Connecticut’s fiscal deficit totalled $67.4 billion, or $50.70 per taxpayer.
Unfortunately, many locals’ bank accounts have taken a hit due to COVID-19. In particular, 327,353 persons have difficulty meeting even the most basic monthly financial obligations. Housing-wise, in Connecticut, 113,409 residents are late on their mortgage interest, and 69,666 renter families are also behind. Countless families are dealing with food insecurity; 17,709 people in the United States say they frequently go hungry.

14. Delaware

Before the COVID-19 issue, Delaware’s revenue imbalance was $8.6 billion, or around $24,900 per resident. Given the current state of the epidemic, this figure is sure to rise. Hundreds of businesses in Delaware have closed because of the effects of COVID-19. For instance, currently, 136,914 individuals are experiencing difficulty paying for the basics at home, whereas another 83,269 are experiencing a much harder time. During the semi, 15,975 individuals lost their employment, which makes the situation worse.

15. Hawaii

Because of the pandemic’s effect on the economy, it has been challenging for 175,326 people in Hawaii to cover their basic living costs. Not surprisingly, given that 20,907 individuals have lost their employment since 13th March. Yet, another 21,280 anticipate to be jobless over the next four weeks, the findings of this poll are not unexpected. Even more disheartening, 11,686 families say they sometimes go hungry. Before the COVID-19 problem, Hawaii owed $16.1 million, which could put each government citizen on the hook for $31,700.

16. Illinois

There are currently 332,278 delinquent mortgages in Illinois due to the COVID-19 outbreak. There are currently 301,828 households that are delinquent on their rent. Factors contributing to this include the 136,631 individuals who have lost their employment in the area from 13th March and the 149,987 people who anticipate losing theirs within the next four weeks. It’s hardly shocking that over 1.2 million Americans are struggling to meet essential financial obligations at the moment, considering these figures. Before the epidemic, Illinois had accumulated $226 billion of debt, which might translate into a $52,000 annual hit for each citizen.

17. Iowa

The state of Iowa is teeming with hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 13th March, 252,051 people have lost their jobs in the state, while 257,914 anticipate being unemployed within the next four weeks. There are also 114,695 individuals whose mortgages are also taking a hit as a result of epidemic, while a further 81,276 families default on their loans. Before the epidemic, Iowa’s debt was $2.3 billion, which could put the cost of each citizen at $13,840 per year.

18. Kansas

As of 13th March, 87,264 Kansas residents were unemployed. Similarly, 455,970 individuals anticipate joining that group within the next four weeks. It is clear from these figures that COVID-19 has taken its toll on the local economy in some profound ways. As of 13th March, 74,335 people’s mortgages are behind, while 150,085 households have fallen behind on rent. Kansas had accumulated $9.3 billion in debt throughout the year in question.

19. Minnesota

In 2019 alone, Minnesota’s financial crisis has been harder on citizens than the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 13th March and before the epidemic had begun, an astonishing 560,015 people had lost their employment in Minnesota. The total sum of debt in the state is over $3.1 billion per taxpayer being on the hook for $17,700 annually. Before COVID-19 had affected Minnesota’s economic circumstances, Kansas’s debt was $2.3 billion, which could put their average citizen on the hook for $13,870 per year.

20. Oklahoma

Before 13th March, Oklahoma’s fiscal deficit was around $5.5 billion, or $17,200 per taxpayer. Owing to the crisis, we can likely expect that figure to increase over the next few weeks. In Oklahoma, 209,873 individuals are currently unemployed, while the state has accumulated a whopping $12.6 billion debt. The total figure for the nation was $6.8 trillion after all debts were paid off on 13th March.

Conclusion

The economic situation in the United States has gotten significantly worse as a result of COVID-19. If everyone were given an extra $170 per week, it would not be enough to cover their basic monthly budget. Each citizen’s tax payments alone can’t sustain the economy, further threatened by a lack of consumer spending power. The figure for this unfortunate situation is evident from the 2011 Deficit Commission report, which found that the national debt was $10 trillion at that point and rising. This figure is more than five times the $2 trillion of debt at the time. We have indicated some of the states where Americans are struggling the most, but unfortunately, other states not mentioned here face a similar economic crisis.