1. Adjust the slider at the bottom to match your wage.
2. On the left, select how many adults and children are in your household.
3. Select a state to see where you fall between a poverty wage and a living wage.
- States that are brighter mean that you would earn closer to a living wage in that state.
- States that are darker mean that you would earn closer to a poverty wage in that state.
- The light blue triangle above the wage slider shows the minimum wage for that state.
- The dark blue triangle below the wage slider shows the federal minimum wage.
- The box above your wage listing shows how many hours a week you would have to work just to earn a living wage.
4. To see the nation divided into counties, click on “County View”. To see the nation divided into states, click on “State View”.
5. To zoom in on a particular state, first select the state then click on the plus sign that appears in the corner.
- While zoomed in, you can click on individual counties to see their poverty/living wages.
- To return to the national view, click anywhere outside of the state.
1.) Making minimum wage with one child is unlivable in all 50 states. (Assuming a 40 hour workweek.)
2.)For a single parent of three making $25.00 an hour living in MA, NY, NH,WI, MD, or HI isn't possible working less than 50 hours a week. Of the states listed, HI and D.C. are the most expensive, requiring 56.2 hours of work per week just to get by.
3.) Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia are the highest concentration of expensive counties in the nation. For a single parent of three, anything short of $37.00 an hour (close to $80,000 a year) is below a living wage.
4.)South Dakota, North Dakota, sections of Montana, and Eastern Washington are some of the most livable places in the United States if you are single and making minimum wage.
5.) For a married couple making $12.00 an hour, much of the midwest and rural Pennsylvania are livable.
