What does this measure?
The level of income needed for households of different sizes and types in a region to have a stable budget. This is calculated by United for ALICE and includes costs for both necessities such as housing and food as well as 10% savings for emergencies or for longer-term goals like additional education or buying a home.
Why is this important?
The level of income needed to afford living expenses often exceeds the minimum wage, forcing some employed in lower wage jobs to have multiple jobs or seek public assistance to make ends meet. Understanding the true level of income required to cover housing, food, clothing, childcare, transportation and medical expenses provides a more accurate benchmark for assessing the jobs available in a region or local area.
How does our county compare?
In Lancaster County in 2023, a single adult would need to earn about $16.50/hour to have a stable household budget, but a single adult with a child in childcare would need $27/hour. Two adults with two children need to earn a combined $38/hour and 2 adults age 65 or older would need about $28.60. These costs are all a bit higher than the comparable costs for the state as a whole, and above regional counties except for Chester. Lancaster's stable household budget levels are very similar to Dauphin County's.
Notes about the data
Information on the ALICE definition and methodology is available on the United for ALICE website:https://www.unitedforalice.org/methodology.
| 1 Adult, 1 Child in Child Care | 2 Adults, 2 Children | 2 Adults, 65+ | Single Adult | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $24.71 | $35.21 | $26.69 | $14.98 |
| Lancaster County | $26.98 | $38.42 | $28.64 | $16.53 |
| York County | $25.38 | $36.35 | $27.67 | $15.40 |
| Lebanon County | $25.44 | $36.26 | $26.73 | $15.38 |
| Dauphin County | $26.76 | $37.71 | $28.78 | $15.94 |
| Cumberland County | $26.95 | $38.09 | $28.58 | $16.06 |
| Chester County | $33.08 | $44.50 | $31.75 | $18.80 |
| Berks County | $25.76 | $36.58 | $27.91 | $15.20 |
| 1 Adult, 1 Child in Child Care | 2 Adults, 2 Children | 2 Adults, 65+ | Single Adult | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $49,428 | $70,416 | $53,376 | $29,964 |
| Lancaster County | $53,964 | $76,848 | $57,276 | $33,060 |
| York County | $50,760 | $72,696 | $55,332 | $30,792 |
| Lebanon County | $50,880 | $72,528 | $53,460 | $30,768 |
| Dauphin County | $53,520 | $75,420 | $57,564 | $31,872 |
| Cumberland County | $53,892 | $76,176 | $57,168 | $32,124 |
| Chester County | $66,156 | $89,004 | $63,492 | $37,608 |
| Berks County | $51,528 | $73,164 | $55,812 | $30,396 |
