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Worst places in America for you to be left widowed — and California dominates the list
A study by life insurance technology company Ethos ranked Irvine, California, as the US area where a surviving spouse may face the greatest financial strain, both when living alone and when raising one child. Fresno and Los Angeles also placed in the top 10 for both household types, highlighting how a sudden loss of income can collide with high living costs.
Ethos compared 100 US metro and housing-market areas, considering expenses, income losses, mortgages, funerals and estimated first-year costs. In Irvine, it estimated first-year costs of $91,477 for a surviving spouse living alone and $134,329 for a parent with one child; San Francisco had the highest estimate for the latter, at $167,929. In a survey of 1,000 married or widowed Americans, 40% of married respondents had never discussed coping financially after a spouse’s death, while one-quarter had no life insurance; the ranking excludes insurance payouts, savings and survivor benefits.
In short
- Irvine ranked highest for financial strain after losing a spouse.
- San Francisco had the largest first-year estimate for a widowed parent.
- 40% of married respondents had not discussed the financial impact.
Explained simply
When someone loses a spouse, a household may lose an income while facing funeral costs, mortgage payments and everyday bills. The effect can vary by location, because housing and other living costs differ across the United States.
Ethos is a life insurance technology company. For its study, it compared estimated first-year costs in 100 US metro and housing-market areas for a surviving spouse living alone or raising one child; it did not count insurance payouts, savings or survivor benefits.
The study also surveyed 1,000 married or widowed Americans about financial preparation. It found that some had not discussed how they would cope financially after a spouse’s death, and some had no life insurance.