The Golden State comes with a brutal price tag, even after “till dєatᩚh do us part.”

Three California cities landed among the 10 most financially punishing places to lose a spouse, according to an Ethos study examining how household budgets could buckle when two incomes become one. 

Irvine claimed the grim No. 1 spot for both surviving spouses living alone and widowed parents raising one child. Fresno and Los Angeles also cracked the top 10 in both categories.

The life insurance technology company compared 100 US metro and housing-market areas, weighing living expenses, potential income losses, mortgage burdens, funeral bills and estimated first-year costs.

For families in Irvine, the numbers paint a stomach-churning picture. 

A surviving parent raising one child would face roughly $174 in basic expenses for every $100 of typical one-earner family income, leaving a financial hole before any extras enter the picture.

Even without a child, estimated necessities would swallow about $115 for every $100 coming in.

Separate Redfin figures show just how steep the everyday bills already are.

Irvine’s cost of living runs 65% above the national average with a median home price of roughly $1.46 million, according to the real estate company’s city guide.

Redfin puts housing costs at 270% above the national average, while groceries cost about 10% more — a punishing backdrop for anyone suddenly facing the bills alone. 

Ethos estimates the first-year tab in Irvine at $134,329 for a surviving parent with one child and $91,477 for an adult living alone.

Both totals combine a year of basic expenses with a funeral and burial. The living expenses include housing, food, transportation, healthcare, taxes and other essentials.

And another California city delivers an even bigger dollar shock.

San Francisco had the study’s highest estimated first-year costs for a widowed parent raising one child — a staggering $167,929.

Across all areas studied, the median first-year estimate was about $62,500 for a surviving spouse living alone and more than $93,000 for a parent with one child.

Fresno ranked seventh for adults living alone and eighth for parents with one child. Los Angeles placed 10th and seventh, respectively. 

In Fresno, the difference between typical two-earner and one-earner family incomes suggests a potential 50% income plunge.

Meanwhile, in the Census figures used for Irvine and Los Angeles, 42% of homeowners with mortgages already devoted at least 30% of household income to housing.

And when it came to where a spouse would be the most protected from sudden economic hardship, a predominantly Mormon town took the honor.

Provo, Utah, ranked least financially vulnerable for both household types, although a parent raising one child would still need nearly 89% of typical one-earner income just to cover basics.

Surprisingly, many couples admitted they haven’t even confronted the possibility of facing those bills alone.

Ethos also surveyed 1,000 married or widowed Americans. Among married respondents, 40% had never discussed how they would cope financially if their spouse died and one-quarter had no life insurance policy.

About 14% said they couldn’t last even a month without their partner’s income.

Asked how they would respond to a spouse’s dєatᩚh, 52% anticipated slashing spending, 43% said they would move or downsize, and 37% expected to tap emergency savings.

The rankings model potential financial strain using typical local incomes and estimated expenses, rather than tracking individual families after bereavement.

The first-year totals also exclude insurance payouts, savings and survivor benefits that could help cover expenses.

For surviving spouses, the bills keep coming, even when the second paycheck stops.

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