Financial Stability
Living Wage Rate, 2021

Using the charts: Items in the legend below the chart can be clicked on and off to aid in analysis. The chart can also be printed or exported as an image or document using the menu at the top right.


Living Wage Rate, 2021

What does this measure?

The level of income needed for households of different sizes and types in a region to be able to pay for necessities including housing and food without outside assistance.

Why is this important?

The level of income needed to afford basic expenses often exceeds the minimum wage, forcing the working poor to work multiple jobs or seek public assistance to make ends meet. Understanding the true level of income required to cover housing, food, clothing, child care, transportation and medical expenses provides a more accurate benchmark for assessing the jobs available in a region or local area. The living wage also adjusts for regional variation in costs.

How is the region performing?

In 2021, a living wage for two working parents with two children in the Mid-Hudson Valley would be $27.15, representing an annual income of just over $112,900. This was slightly higher than the state's living wage (excluding NYC) of $25.06. Within the region, the living wage would be substantially higher for a two-parent, two-child household in which only one parent works, at $40.42, and for a single working parent with two children, at $48.18. For two adults with no children, the living wage is far lower, at $14.29. These wages also were a bit higher than those at the state level (outside NYC).

The required living wage for all household types in the region increased since 2015. The rise was most pronounced for two parents with two children in which one parent works (61%) and two working adults with no children (54%) followed closely by two working parents with two children (53%).

Likely reflecting differences in the cost of living throughout the region, the estimated living wage for two working parents with two children was lowest in Sullivan ($24.29), Greene ($24.35) and Columbia counties ($25.29), and highest in Putnam ($32.95). The living wage was the same in Dutchess and Orange counties, at $27.94.

Notes about the data

Figures are in 2021 dollars and assume a 40-hour work week. The living wage model is an alternative measure of basic needs. It is a market-based approach that draws upon geographically specific expenditure data related to a family's likely minimum food, child care, health insurance, housing, transportation, and other basic necessities (e.g. clothing, personal care items, etc.) costs. More information on the sources of data for costs is available at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Living Wage Rate, 2021
1 earning adult, 2 children2 adults (1 earning), 2 children2 earning adults2 earning adults, 2 children
Region$48.18$40.42$14.29$27.15
Columbia$44.47$37.87$13.36$25.29
Dutchess$49.77$41.48$14.55$27.94
Greene$42.58$38.02$13.28$24.35
Orange$49.77$41.48$14.55$27.94
Putnam$59.78$46.06$17.04$32.95
Sullivan$42.47$37.90$13.23$24.29
Ulster$48.43$40.14$14.00$27.27
NYS (excluding NYC)$44.00$37.98$13.32$25.06

Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Notes: Figures are in constant 2021 dollars.




Annual Income, 2021
1 earning adult, 2 children2 adults (1 earning), 2 children2 earning adults2 earning adults, 2 children
Region$100,217$84,077$59,435$112,932
Columbia$92,498$78,770$55,578$105,206
Dutchess$103,522$86,278$60,528$116,230
Greene$88,566$79,082$55,245$101,296
Orange$103,522$86,278$60,528$116,230
Putnam$124,342$95,805$70,886$137,072
Sullivan$88,338$78,832$55,037$101,046
Ulster$100,734$83,491$58,240$113,443
NYS (excluding NYC)$91,517$79,001$55,406$104,234

Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Notes: Figures are in constant 2021 dollars and assume working 40 hours each week.




INDICATORS TREND | STATE
Children Living in Poverty Increasing
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Single-Parent Families Increasing
Single-Parent Families, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Rate of Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Rate of Foster Care Admissions Decreasing
Teen Pregnancy Decreasing
Voter Registration Rate Increasing
Voter Participation Rate Decreasing
Total Population Increasing
Population by Age Decreasing
Population by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Household Types Increasing
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Employment by Sector Not Applicable
Spending for County Government Maintaining
Tourism Revenue Maintaining
Preschoolers Receiving Special Education Services Increasing
Prekindergarten Participation Increasing
Students Receiving Special Education Services Increasing
Per-Student Spending Maintaining
Student Performance on Grade 4 English, by Student Group Increasing
Student Performance on Grade 4 English, by Race/Ethnicity Maintaining
Student Performance on Grade 4 Math, by Student Group Increasing
Student Performance on Grade 4 Math, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Increasing
High School Cohort Dropout Rate Decreasing
High School GED Rate Maintaining
Education Levels of Adults Increasing
Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity Decreasing
Median Household Income Maintaining
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Maintaining
People Living in Poverty Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Seniors Living in Poverty Increasing
Veterans Living in Poverty Maintaining
Children Receiving Subsidized Child Care Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students Increasing
Earned Income Tax Credit Participation Increasing
Living Wage Rate by Household Type Maintaining
Income in Relation to Poverty Level Increasing
Households Receiving SNAP Maintaining
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Early Prenatal Care, by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Food Insecurity Not Applicable
Deaths from Drug Overdoses Increasing
Babies with Low Birth Weights Maintaining
Newly Diagnosed Cases of HIV Decreasing
People Living wth HIV Increasing
Mental Health Clinic Visits Maintaining
Homeownership Rates Maintaining
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Cost of Rent Increasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Violent Crimes Decreasing
Homeless Persons Decreasing
Domestic Violence Decreasing
Arrest Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Decreasing
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Single-Parent Families, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Population by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Student Performance on Grade 4 English, by Race/Ethnicity Maintaining
Student Performance on Grade 4 Math, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity Decreasing
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Early Prenatal Care, by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Arrest Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Decreasing


Loading...