• TheFriar@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    45
    ·
    3 months ago

    It’s absurd that in this day and age, $31,000 for a FAMILY OF FOUR is how low the supposed poverty line is. And $15,000 for an individual?! These people have no idea how little money that is today.

    • GrymEdm@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      20
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      15 grand divided by 12 months = 1,250 dollars a month. Average rent is $1,713 nation-wide for an average apartment size of 900 sq. ft. There’s definitely variation and this is a simplification, but it should still be noted only 14 states have an average rent below 1,250/month and only Oklahoma has an average below 1k. I’m sure there are lots of exceptions (rural areas come to mind), but stats say in much of the USA you’ll find a poverty line of 15,000 doesn’t even cover monthly rent for a 20ft x 45ft space, much less food, transportation, etc.

    • Ember@lemmings.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      3 months ago

      If I made 31k - after taxes, rent, health insurance, and utilities there would be almost nothing left for anything else, including food.

      I make just under 70k and am the sole income for a family of 5. It’s just enough to afford the essentials since the cost of groceries has gotten so damn high, and any attempts to save money are thwarted by the disaster of the month - which is usually an unexpected car repair, appliance repair/replacement, medical expenses, etc.