Study: San Diego County Family of 4 Needs $93K Annual Income to Meet Basic Needs – California News Times

In San Diego, the street corner of City Heights, which had the highest proportion of inhabitants living below the poverty line defined by the federal government in 2017. New studies claim that the measurements are not appropriate. Megan Wood / inew source

According to a United Way study, one in three Californian families struggles to meet their daily needs.

the studyReleased by a collection of 29 local United Way organizations in California, it seeks to provide a better vision of which families lag behind federal poverty levels.

Researchers have found that California has a 250% higher proportion of families who find it difficult to achieve their goals, compared to the results of federal action.

This is equivalent to 3.5 million households that cannot meet their basic needs. This is a situation that affects Latino and black households at a much higher rate than other communities.

Proponents argue that federal standards are based on outdated formulas for calculating poverty. It does not take into account the costs of California’s rent, transportation, medical care, and other basic needs.

“This study shows that many working families in California are having a harder time paying for their living than official estimates, and the cost and reality of living with dignity for families and their children. We have identified a large gap between what we earn and what we earn, “said Peter Manzo, President and CEO. Of United Ways, California.

He calls the results of this study “the criteria by which we set priorities” and needs to convince local community partners, citizen leaders, the corporate sector, and elected officials. Actually prosper. ”

According to a study, the actual cost of living for a family of four in San Diego County (defined as two adults, one preschooler, and one school-aged child) is $ 93,032.

By comparison, Los Angeles County costs $ 95,112, while Sacramento costs $ 77,072.

By comparison, the federal government says those same families Only $ 26,500 is needed to escape life in poverty..

Other important findings of this study are:

• Of the estimated 3.5 million households in California, below what United Way calls a “real cost measure,” 97% have at least one member of society.
• About 40% of California households spend more than one-third of their income on housing. Affordable home advocates think it’s too expensive.
• Childcare costs are skyrocketing. In Fresno County, the annual cost of raising a family with two children can reach $ 14,429. Worse, in Orange County, it’s $ 19,740.
• More than half of state households with children under the age of six fall below charitable cost standards.

• 70% of households led by California single mothers are below cost standards.

In addition, research has shown that being a colored or foreign-born place has put a strain on the family.

It is estimated that more than 1.7 million Latin California households do not have enough income compared to more than 1 million white households. 481,618 Asian-American households; 259,516 black households, and 13,592 Native American / Alaska Natives households.

Meanwhile, 36% of state households led by people born outside the United States are below cost standards.

If the household is headed by someone who does not have US citizenship, that number will rise to 59%. That’s only 26% below United Way’s cost standard when compared to households headed by people born in the United States.

This survey is based on US Census Bureau community survey data from 2014 to 2019.

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