The Living Wage Calculator, Community Economic Toolbox, and Poverty in America websites were developed by Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier and implemented by West Arete Computing.
Tracey Farrigan, a geographer with the Economic Research Service, collected and aggregated all the data for this site.
This online tool was developed as part of the Living Wage Project. For more information about this tool and its development, please see the publication Living Wage and Job Gap Study of Beaufort County, South Carolina.
The Living Wage Calculator is a companion to the Poverty in America website. Be sure to visit it as well!
The site will continue to be updated periodically with new data, as it becomes available.
As noted below many of the expenses and wages have been adjusted to the Urban Consumer Price Indexes (CPI-U).
Data are from USDA's 2007 low-cost food plan and 2006 Consumer Expenditure Survey, adjusted to 2008 dollars using the CPI-U.
Data are from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Expenditures on Children by Families, 2007 report, adjusted to 2008 dollars using the CPI-U.
Data are from 2006 Consumer Expenditure Survey data and the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Expenditures on Children by Families, 2007 report, adjusted to 2008 dollars using the CPI-U.
Data are from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2008 Fair Market Rents.
Current motor vehicle gasoline costs are from the Energy Information Administration, 2008 average retail gasoline prices by city and state. Other data are from 2006 Consumer Expenditure Survey data and the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Expenditures on Children by Families, 2007 report, adjusted to 2008 dollars using the CPI-U.
Data are from 2006 Consumer Expenditure Survey data and the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Expenditures on Children by Families, 2007 report, adjusted to 2008 dollars using the CPI-U.
These figures include estimated Federal and State income taxes for 2008.
These figures are taken from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2007 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates and then adjusted to 2008 dollars using the CPI-U.
These figures reflect official State and Federal minimum wage rates, including increases up until August 2008, as provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.
These figures are taken from U.S. Census Bureau 2007 Poverty Thresholds by Size of Family and Number of Children and then adjusted to 2008 dollars using the CPI-U.