Idyllic state where Americans have to work hardest in the country to live an average life
With housing costs exploding and years of rampant inflation almost eight in ten Americans now live paycheck to paycheck, according to research by Ringover.
However, the amount of work hours needed to afford an average lifestyle varies greatly from state to state.
By considering eight of the biggest life expenses - rent, utilities, medical care, food, transport, apparel, recreation and domestic vacation - and median salaries Ringover researched how many hours of work it would take afford an average lifestyle in each of the fifty states.
The study concluded that an average American would need to work 1,372 hours every year, or spend 77.7 percent of their earnings to live a typical lifestyle.
The average lifestyle is hardest to achieve in the idyllic state of Hawaii.
Resident of Hawaii must work an average 1,928 hours a year, meaning around 192 hours of overtime on the average job, in order to maintain a typical lifestyle.
The Aloha state topped the list due to its extremely high cost of living.
'This tropical paradise is a cost-of-living nightmare,' Ringover researcher Klarissa Fitzpatrick said of the findings.
The average lifestyle is hardest to achieve in the idyllic state of Hawaii
'The main reason Hawaii is so unaffordable is housing,' she explained.
'On the median salary, you would need to work around 1137.3 hours alone just to afford rent. More time is spent working to afford rent in Hawaii than any other state in the study.'
Indeed 59 percent of all working hours in Hawaii are spent on rent alone.
Coming in second was Idaho where workers must complete 1,840 hours of work annually to achieve an average lifestyle.
Following closely behind in the rankings was Mississippi where 1,628 hours is required.
By contrast the most affordable place to live an average lifestyle is North Dakota, where residents only have to spend 1,042 hours at work for the same ends.
Housing was also a key factor behind the affordability of North Dakota.
'There's one standout reason North Dakota tops the list for the most affordable state on the list, and that's thanks to its affordable rentals,' Fitzpatrick wrote.
In Idaho workers must complete 1,840 hours of work annually to achieve an average lifestyle
North Dakota is the most affordable state for an average lifestyle due to affordable rentals
West Virginia was ranked as the third most affordable state to achieve a typical lifestyle
'Besides this, utilities, apparel, and recreation costs all require fewer hours to afford than the U.S. average.'
This was closely followed by Connecticut and West Virginia where 1,050 hours and 1,131 hours are needed respectively.
A worker on the average salary in Hawaii would need to work 886 more hours than their North Dakotan contemporary to achieve the same standard of living.
