In order to better assess federal poverty rates in light of the real cost of living for families, Boston’s Women’s Union developed the “Self-Sufficiency Standard.” It includes the costs of housing, food, childcare, health care, transportation, miscellaneous items, and taxes — without any public or private subsidies and no allowance for saving for retirement, children’s education, or emergency expenses. The cost of family self-sufficiency varies by geographic area and by family size and composition. The high cost of living in Boston raises questions about the self-sufficiency wages for different categories of families.
How are we doing?
The 2003 Self-Sufficiency Standard for Boston for two adults with two children was $54,612 per year — and for a single parent with two children it was $51,284 per year. These figures represent increases of 28% and 31% over the equivalent amounts estimated for 1998.
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Click image to enlarge chart "The family self-sufficiency standard by household type, Boston: 1998 & 2003"
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