More than 4.8 million workers now earn the lowest legal pay. This calculator, for a single childless worker, shows the hard choices that have to be made living on the smallest paychecks.

Start by choosing your state: Select a state Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Washington D.C.

Tally your living expenses by entering what you think is the least you need for each item. You may find that even your rock-bottom expenses aren’t met and that you have to work more hours, pay your bills late, borrow money or do without. Related Editorial »