11/02/2026
Nearly three in ten married couples with kids run the household on one paycheck. That number says a lot about what a family can actually afford.
Utah leads at 36.7%, followed by Alaska at 35.5% and New Mexico at 35.1%.
Washington, D.C. is lowest at 17.1%, with Minnesota at 18.1%.
Tennessee sits at 30.4% and Georgia at 29.0%, both above the national average of 28.2%.
The share jumps to 35.3% for families with children under six, right when childcare can run $6,500 to $15,600 per child per year.
For a lot of young families, the second income barely clears the daycare bill, so one parent steps back during the exact years they are trying to buy a first home. That means qualifying on a single income. In Atlanta and Chattanooga, price point, property taxes, and commute decide what those buyers can purchase.
Chart: Visual Capitalist.