34. Virginia

• Median household income/paycheck: $2,544.19
• The leftover income after covering monthly expenses: $1,024.11
• Percentage of leftover income: 40.25 percent

Compared to other East Coast states, Virginia scores pretty well with its high median household income and reasonable expenses. In fact, here, people can easily create an emergency fund since they have more than 40 percent of their paychecks left.

33. Montana

• Median household income/paycheck: $1,860.77
• The leftover income after covering monthly expenses: $757.04
• Percentage of leftover income: 40.68 percent

Montana has the 12th-lowest median household income in the country, meaning that the Treasure State is not really a treasure after all. And yeah, most living expenses are pretty low (utilities, in particular), but Montana residents’ paychecks don’t go as far as they actually do in the vast majority of U.S. states.