Residents in some states are a lot luckier than those in others; they’ll have more money left at the end of the month, rather than vice versa.

High housing costs, high utility costs and high cost of living can derail even the best paychecks (well, among the 99 percent, anyway).

It’s tough these days to make the dollars last long enough to pay all the immediate obligations and still have enough left over to put into a retirement account.

But if you’re planning on having any kind of a life during retirement, you’re just going to have to do better at it—and GoBankingRate.com’s got a few suggestions.

According to their most recent study, if you want to avoid living paycheck to paycheck and ending up like the 69 percent of respondents who said they have less than $1,000 in savings, or even worse, among the 34 percent who admitted to having no savings at all, you’d be well advised to seek out one of these 10 states, which have lower housing costs, cost of living and other factors that help people stretch their money.

It would be better, of course, to boost your income if at all possible, but if you just can’t find a way to do that—through lack of better job opportunities or other factors—GoBankingRate points out that relocating to a state where your money goes further, thanks to a low cost of living compared to income, you could potentially improve your situation.

Of course, in some of these states you’ll need to stretch your money, since their median incomes aren’t very high—but at least you might stand a fighting chance.

And if you’re trying but failing to save for retirement, you may end up spending your golden years here—especially if earlier efforts to stretch those dollars aren’t very successful.

10. Michigan

Median household income per paycheck: $1,964.77

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $902.58

Percentage of leftover income: 45.94 percent

Housing costs in Michigan are low, eating up less of a paycheck than other states and leaving more to spend on other necessities.

In addition, Michigan workers have the added benefit of cheaper food costs per paycheck, which also helps to stretch what’s left. In fact, with nearly half your paycheck left after the essentials are paid for, you might be able to do quite well.

9. Kentucky

Median household income per paycheck: $1,739.04

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $799.16

Percentage of leftover income: 45.95 percent

Food costs per paycheck in the Bluegrass State are low, at just $157.02. That amounts to just 9 percent of income per paycheck, which is way low compared to the rest of the country.

But Kentuckians also make out with lower housing and health care costs per paycheck, having even more money left over to get by with (okay, so it’s 0.01 percent more than Michigan) and increasing the likelihood that they won’t end up living paycheck to paycheck. Unless, of course, they blow it all at Churchill Downs…

8. Missouri

Median household income per paycheck: $1,932.23

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $887.99

Percentage of leftover income: 45.96 percent

You won’t find terrific paychecks here—Missouri’s median household income is less than the national median—but, on the other hand, housing expenses only amount to $379.52 per paycheck.

That’s less than 20 percent, leaving you the other 80 percent to spend on whatever else you need.

7. Kansas

Median household income per paycheck: $2,073.31

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $958.78

Percentage of leftover income: 46.24 percent

Kansas has a median income of $53,906, while housing here costs only around 20 percent ($418.73) per paycheck. Even when put together with transportation, the two combined still cost less than a third of your paycheck.

All in all, Kansas is looking pretty good at keeping you from living paycheck to paycheck, particularly since the state’s leftover income per paycheck is the third highest in the nation.

6. Alabama

Median household income per paycheck: $1,721.73

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $801.61

Percentage of leftover income: 46.56 percent

You might be Alabama bound once you see how low the cost of living is here.

Despite a low median household income, the cheap cost of living helps you stretch that paycheck of a tad over $1,700 quite a way.

And when it comes to housing expenses, they only amount to $332.72 per paycheck. That translates to about 19 percent of your paycheck, which is one of the smallest percentages in the study.

5. Indiana

Median household income per paycheck: $1,943.54

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $905.97

Percentage of leftover income: 46.61 percent

Not a bad place to hold onto more of your paycheck, Indiana is one of the states with the lowest cost of living expenses. Housing costs are pretty low too, at less than $400, or about a fifth, of your paycheck. That beats out the majority of other states.

And even when it comes to food, you’ll spend less than 10 percent per paycheck, which should leave you enough extra cash to start socking some away toward retirement.

4. Tennessee

Median household income per paycheck: $1,818.27

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $854.97

Percentage of leftover income: 47.02 percent

You might have less income left over in your paycheck in Tennessee than you would in Indiana, at $854.97 compared with $905.97, but slightly cheaper living expenses in Tennessee means you’ll have a larger percentage of income left over.

Just don’t spend it all in one place.

3. Oklahoma

Median household income per paycheck: $1,868

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $891.52

Percentage of leftover income: 47.73 percent

Gas is cheap here, says GoBankingRate, citing Gas Buddy; in fact, the state has some of the lowest gas prices in the country.

So that cuts transportation costs, and takes a smaller bite out of your paycheck—smaller than in most other states. As a result, you’ll have more money left to cover housing expenses—something else that’s “remarkably cheap” at $326.96 per paycheck, in comparison with other states.

2. Arkansas

Median household income per paycheck: $1,615.19

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $775.37

Percentage of leftover income: 48 percent

Don’t look for much pay here; Arkansas residents’ median household income of $41,995 is actually the second-lowest median income in the country.

But when it comes to cost of living expenses, you can make out and stretch that check—maybe even into retirement savings.

Housing will only consume about 20 percent of each paycheck, while food costs eat up another 9.3 percent and utilities 5.4 percent. That means you’ll have close to 50 percent of each paycheck left over to spend (or save! Remember that retirement account!).

1. Mississippi

Median household income per paycheck: $1,561.27

Total leftover income after cost of living expenses: $766.06

Percentage of leftover income: 49.07 percent

If you’re looking for the place where you’re least likely to have to live paycheck to paycheck, you can stop now. Mississippi, one of the cheapest states to live in, doesn’t boast much in the way of median household income—just $40,593, which is the lowest of all 50 states—but it does excel at record lows for cost of living expenses.

But before you run screaming for the hills—or the cities where pay is higher--Mississippi also claims record lows for cost of living expenses. Housing, utilities and food costs per paycheck are all lower in Mississippi, while the state’s health and transportation costs are also affordable.

Instant Insights /

10 states where you're least likely to live paycheck to paycheck

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