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Very cool map that shows some of the most affordable and least affordable counties for us low wage workers... using MIT's living wage calculator Living Wage Calculator
The south being such a cheap place, is actually not so cheap when they have such low minimum wages... low wage workers are better off in parts of California than most of the south
Washington state is by far the most affordable where the minimum wage is set above the living wage.
Wonder what this map will look like with the minimum wage hikes in New York & California?
How are you making the conclusion about California and the South? The gap in most of California, especially where people actually live, is above 16 dollars, much more so in some places, while the gap in most of the populated south is below that, particularly Texas. The Carolinas and Louisiana approach California in the gap, but barely break 16 dollars in a handful of counties/equivalents. Southern coastal Florida seems as bad as California, but Florida is hardly representative of the South. Parts of Virginia are very expensive, but most of that (not all, looking at southeast Virginia) tends to be centered around the DC metro, which people often exclude from the South.
the default map is set to "Parent w/ spouse & two children"
Click cities and you'll see that Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento, Modesto & Stockton have a lower living wage and a higher minimum wage than any southern city.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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That map needs to be updated, it still shows AZ min at $7.90/hr when it was raised to $8.05/hr this year. There is also a ballot initiative this fall to raise the state minimum wage to $12/hr starting next year (I think in incriments over a couple years).
Anyways, even $12/hr is not enough to live on your own here. The real living wage here for a single adult no kids is $15/hr if you want a studio apartment, $18/hr if you want a 1 bedroom
You can live on peanuts and sleep in your van, rent a single bedroom, share rent, or live in a crappy trailer. Just saying. Living wage what exactly does that mean and how is it determined? Ability to buy basic necessities like food, water, and shelter? Or are we talking about a downtown studio, cell phone bill, internet, and a little fun money? How well off do we determine "livable"?
Fwiw I worked the minimum wage for years when it was 5.15/hr.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
27,606 posts, read 14,610,214 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShiverMeTimber
You can live on peanuts and sleep in your van, rent a single bedroom, share rent, or live in a crappy trailer. Just saying. Living wage what exactly does that mean and how is it determined? Ability to buy basic necessities like food, water, and shelter? Or are we talking about a downtown studio, cell phone bill, internet, and a little fun money? How well off do we determine "livable"?
Fwiw I worked the minimum wage for years when it was 5.15/hr.
First off, living in a vehicle is illegal in pretty much every municipality in this country (it's considered vagrancy, which is a civil offense). So the basic "legal" accomidation is a studio apartment, and even those have occupancy limits, so you could only have 1 roommate in a 1 bedroom, no roommates in a studio (limit is 2 occupants per bedroom, and studios don't count as a 1 bedroom, so roommates in a studio would violate occupancy limits).
Here in Phoenix, the median market rate studio apartment is $600/month, and the market rate 1 bedroom median is $900/month. And most apartment complexes require 3x income to rent before they will lease to you, it used to be 2 1/2x, but with demand now exceeding supply, landlords have been allowed to be more picky. So to afford a 1 bedroom with one roommate, you would have to make $16,200/yr, a studio on your own $21,600, a 1 bedroom on your own $32,400/yr. Translated to an hourly wage:
1 bedroom with 1 roommate=
Part time (30 hrs/wk) $10.38/hr
Full time $7.79/hr
Studio apartment alone=
Part time (30hrs/wk) $13.85/hr
Full time $10.38/hr
1 bedroom alone=
Part time (30hrs/wk) $20.77/hr
Full time $15.58/hr
So with our current minimum of $8.05/hr, the best "legal" living option you could afford would be a 1 bedroom with a roommate if you worked full time, but as we know, no one who works minimum wage gets full time, so in conclusion, minimum wage is not a "legal" living wage here in Phoenix at all. If you want to live in your car (illegal) or breach occupancy limits (also illegal), you can, but short of that, the minimum is too low
The Living Wage Map is meaningless in most of the larger urban areas where even though there is a state minimum wage in place, a vast majority of employers will pay well above that to stay competitive in the marketplace in terms of attracting and retaining workers. I'm not saying it's anywhere near sufficient in terms of compensation, but somewhat less dire than the state minimum rates show.
Only 3.9 percent of workers in the US work for minimum wage. Only three percent of those minimum wage workers are over age 25.
Among hourly paid workers age 16 and older, about 7 percent of those without a high school diploma earned the federal minimum wage or less, compared with about 4 percent of those who had a high school diploma (with no college), 4 percent of those with some college or an associate degree, and about 2 percent of college graduates.
Only 2 percent of married workers earn minimum wage. Only 2 percent of full time workers earn minimum wage.
The industry with the highest percentage (over half) of minimum wage workers (most of whom work only part time) is the restaurant business, where tips bring those wages up.
Only 3.9 percent of workers in the US work for minimum wage. Only three percent of those minimum wage workers are over age 25.
Among hourly paid workers age 16 and older, about 7 percent of those without a high school diploma earned the federal minimum wage or less, compared with about 4 percent of those who had a high school diploma (with no college), 4 percent of those with some college or an associate degree, and about 2 percent of college graduates.
Only 2 percent of married workers earn minimum wage. Only 2 percent of full time workers earn minimum wage.
The industry with the highest percentage (over half) of minimum wage workers (most of whom work only part time) is the restaurant business, where tips bring those wages up.
The numbers you're utilizing are against the federal minimum wage which is a ridiculous $7.25 an hour. 26% of all Americans earn less than $10.55 an hour, which is less than $22,000 per year and still speaks to the "minimum wage" as it's higher than $7.25 an hour in most heavily populated areas. 75% of those working in that salary range are adults (age 20 or higher) and 34% of that overall group are parents with children.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
27,606 posts, read 14,610,214 times
Reputation: 9169
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyle19125
The numbers you're utilizing are against the federal minimum wage which is a ridiculous $7.25 an hour. 26% of all Americans earn less than $10.55 an hour, which is less than $22,000 per year and still speaks to the "minimum wage" as it's higher than $7.25 an hour in most heavily populated areas. 75% of those working in that salary range are adults (age 20 or higher) and 34% of that overall group are parents with children.
Exactly, here in Phoenix, the median wage is about $12.50/hr, but the real minimum might as well be $15 based on cost of living
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