What's low income where you live?

[blue]

In parts of Western Washington close to me it's apparently $75,000 for a family of 4.

[cotten]

My area of Middle Georgia, USA, is still recovering from our recent recession, very slowly. Poverty and unemployment remain high, though improving gradually. The median household income for the county in 2015 was $32,460. This represents a bit more buying power than one might guess, since the largest share of property values for owner-occupied housing units fall within the $100k-$125k range, versus about $170,000 nationally. A family of 4 earning $75,000 here would be solidly middle class, perhaps on the high side.

That said, this information doesn't reveal the whole picture. In our local public school system, 100% of the students qualify for free breakfast and lunch, and there is even a fast growing program by the school system to deliver meals to students during the summer months. This tells us that here, the poor are poor. Many reasons for that, of course, but that's food for another thread.

On the other hand, our area attracts thousands of people who love living on a beautiful, 15,330-acre lake that boasts 417 miles of scenic shoreline, winding coves and inlets as well as several vast stretches of open water. Folks that live on the lake tend to have a much higher than average income for this area. If it were not for these folks, the average income here would be far less, I'm sure.

cotten

[BrunoBlack]

I'm not sure what low income is, but only 1.6% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line and median household income is $91K. Median home cost is $310K in my community. Community public schools spend $21,371 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. The unemployment rate in town is 2.8% and for the entire state of Massachusetts it's 3.6%. The economy has been very good here. Let's see what the future holds.

[KevWind]

The allowance my wife gives me, hits me right where I live

[jpd]

Originally Posted by Haasome

I'm not sure what low income is, but only 1.6% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line and median household income is $91k in my community . The unemployment rate in town is 2.8% and for the entire state of Massachusetts it's 3.6%. The economy has been very good here. Let's see what the future holds.

Same out here in the SF Bay area. Avg income is very high, yet the homeless population keeps growing rapidly.

[buddyhu]

This isn't where I live...but I am vacationing in Peru, and I'm told that minimum wage here amounts to $290 a month. And they have income taxes, and an 18% value added tax, and no social security. They do have some form of free health care (don't know the details).

So I am happy to be headed back home, where even the poorest in my community are doing better than that.

[FLRon]

There are so many poor in Florida that I wouldn't even know where to start to try and answer this question. Collier county(think Naples) is one of the wealthiest places in America,with homes valued up to 60 Million dollars. Million dollar tear down homes are not uncommon. Meanwhile just a few miles away in Immokolee live some of the poorest of the poor. 33.2% of these people live below the poverty line.The disparity is almost unbelievable.

[piper_guitarist]

Well at my current salary of $50K/yr I'm well above median income for a single-person household. Pretty sad, eh?

Abilene and the surrounding area is nothing but a bunch of broke rednecks. Seriously.

[nitram]

I'd be willing to bet that the lower end of the income bracket isn't reading this thread.

[blue]

Originally Posted by nitram

I'd be willing to bet that the lower end of the income bracket isn't reading this thread.

The point of my starting this thread is that the $75,000 low income near me probably has multiple computers and smartphones and likely a 60 inch TV.

Times have definitely changed.

[6L6]

Family of 4 in San Francisco is $105,000.

[CodeBlueEMT]

I'm to poor to pay attention.

[Shoreline Music]

Median household income: $34,892
Below poverty line: 17.2%
Median home price: $427,000

The folks I know on the low side don't have the 60-inch TVs or anything like that, but I'm sure they are out there.

[Basalt Beach]

Originally Posted by blue

In parts of Western Washington close to me it's apparently $75,000 for a family of 4.

Your area of Washington State would appear to be an anomaly, but given the data is for a family of 4, it may not be all that odd.

Washington Income Statistics

The following data are the most current income statistics for Washington from the US Census Bureau, are in 2015 inflation adjusted dollars and are from the American Community Survey 2015 5-year estimates.

Median Household Income: $61,062.
Average Household Income: $80,789.

[Otterhound]

A livable income varies directly to cost of living and that includes where you live .
Debt free and owning your home requires far less income than having debt and a mortgage .
To me , low income is factored to your degree of comfort in meeting your expenses .
A lower income does not directly equate to comfort level/s .
If my income is 10% less than yours and my expenses are 50% of yours , I am far more comfortable with less income than you .