LOS ANGELES (AP) - The minimum wage in Los Angeles could increase to $15 an hour by 2020 under a plan given initial approval by the City Council.
That’s a 67 percent increase from the current minimum wage of $9 and would amount to annual pay of about $31,200.
Here’s a look at how far that money could go in six cities, given living expenses.
Figures are based on annual costs for one adult unless otherwise specified and were calculated by the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Poverty levels are according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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LOS ANGELES
HOUSING: $11,445
FOOD: $3,530
TRANSPORTATION: $3,727
CHILD CARE (two adults, two children): $10,073
PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL: 22 percent
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NEW YORK CITY
HOUSING: $13,956
FOOD: $3,435
TRANSPORTATION: $3,542
CHILD CARE (two adults, two children): $20,861
PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL: 20 percent
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SEATTLE
HOUSING: $8,861
FOOD: $3,530
TRANSPORTATION: $3,727
CHILD CARE (two adults, two children): $12,322
PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL: 14 percent
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LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
HOUSING: $4,992
FOOD: $3,021
TRANSPORTATION: $4,189
CHILD CARE (two adults, two children): $9,868
PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL: 17 percent
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MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
HOUSING: $6,912
FOOD: $2,958
TRANSPORTATION: $4,497
CHILD CARE (two adults, two children): $6,647
PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL: 27 percent
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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
HOUSING: $7,416
FOOD: $2,958
TRANSPORTATION: $4,497
CHILD CARE (two adults, two children): $10,635
PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL: 16 percent
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