Living Wage Calculator: Estimating Local Income Needs for Basic Living Costs
By
bear_with_me
Master baker tier. Every paragraph earns its place on the tray.
Summary
The Living Wage Calculator is a tool developed to help individuals, communities, employers, and others estimate the local wage rate that a full-time worker needs to cover basic living costs for their family in their specific geographic area. It addresses the issue of low-wage workers earning insufficient income to meet minimum living standards in their communities. The calculator provides data for counties, metro areas, and states across 12 different family types, with the most recent data updated on February 15, 2026.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledToday, families and individuals working in low-wage jobs make too little income to meet minimum standards of living in their community.
We developed the Living Wage Calculator to help individuals, communities, employers, and others estimate the local wage rate that a full-time worker requires to cover the costs of their family's basic needs where they live.
Explore the living wage in your county, metro area, or state for 12 different family types below.
The data was last updated on February 15, 2026.
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