BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Do you earn a living wage? Tool calculates the needed income for singles, parents in all 50 states

Some families may be struggling to match the local cost of living. (Getty Images)

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

Mortgage Calculator

This calculator helps you estimate your monthly mortgage payment. It adds up the loan payment (principal + interest), property tax, and insurance. The loan payment is spread out over the years of your loan term.

This is the total amount you're borrowing from the bank.
This is the yearly interest rate on your loan.
This is how long you'll take to repay the loan.
This is the yearly tax you pay on your property.
This is the yearly cost to insure your home.

Monthly Payment Breakdown

Principal and Interest: $

Property Tax: $

Homeowners Insurance: $

Total Estimated Monthly Payment: $

CHICAGO (NEXSTAR) — If you find yourself struggling to pay bills despite a steady income, you may be simply getting priced out by the high cost of living in your state or metropolitan area.

An updated tool from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is helping Americans determine whether a person’s income is enough to live comfortably in their area.

MIT’s Living Wage Calculator provides a breakdown of typical expenses for individuals and families of up to five people, then determines the income needed to provide for basic expenses for each family size.

“We developed a living wage calculator to estimate the cost of living in your community or region based on typical expenses,” the creators wrote in a press release. “The tool helps individuals, communities, and employers determine a local wage rate that allows residents to meet minimum standards of living.”

The calculator displays the “living wage” needed to support your family size, as well as the local minimum wage and poverty wage, which is the salary threshold required for federal assistance.

Across many states, minimum wage is enough to keep singles and some small families above the poverty line, but well below the salary required to pay all basic expenses.

The calculator includes required wages for single parents as well as one- and two-income households. Researchers also created statewide breakdowns as well as figures for major metropolitan areas within each state.

Income data is pulled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and expense calculations are based on public information, including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development housing costs figures.

You can find your needed minimum income and cost breakdown on the MIT Living Wage Calculator portal.

Your Money

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Fair

la

56°F Fair Feels like 56°
Wind
3 mph NNE
Humidity
58%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low 53F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
53°F Partly cloudy. Low 53F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Wind
9 mph NNW
Precip
10%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waxing Gibbous