County-level data estimates the living wage needed for individuals and families to survive

Amy K. Glasmeier, professor of economic geography and regional planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has created a Living Wage Calculator that uses county-level data to estimate the minimum level of income required for individuals and families to pay for basic living expenses. Glasmeier used that information to create a map "which shows the difference between the minimum wage and the amount of money needed to meet a minimum standard of living around the U.S.," Ana Swanson reports for The Washington Post.

"The interactive map lets you look at how the gap between the minimum wage and a 'living wage' differs for a single adult, a single parent with one child and a parent with a spouse and two children, for different regions around the U.S.," Swanson writes. "Glasmeier defines the living wage as the amount needed to cover basic family expenses, including food, child care, insurance, health care, housing, transportation and taxes." (MIT map: "The redder the map, the larger the gap between what someone makes earning the minimum wage and what they need to survive)