#MiddleburyCT #Seniors #Income #LivingWage
I was recently asked to complete an anonymous survey about income. The survey would be used to collect information about how many seniors in our area fall into the low- and moderate-income ranges. Curious about what those dollar ranges are, I went on an internet hunt for incomes in our area. Color me shocked to discover how low “low income” really is. I then went on a hunt of other websites to compare and contrast this area with others across the country.
MIT has developed what they’re calling the Living Wage Calculator, and it’s quite the eye-opener when it comes to what they claim are “livable” wages. Another site has costs of living for towns and cities across the U.S. Mine is 5% higher than the national average.
I found yet another site that calculates the maximum I should be paying for rent plus utilities based on my income. It’s a good thing I own my home and it’s paid for, because there is no way I could afford to rent anything in my town. And never mind trying to buy – Best Places calculates the cost of buying a home in my town as being 130% of the national average.
My goodness. There really are people here in town who are paying those sky-high prices. And it casts a new light on the sheer volume of people who line up at the food bank each week.
I’ve cut back this past year on donating to the food bank, but I need to start again. It might not be much, but I can help a little. When I buy something on sale at the grocery store, perhaps I can buy two. Or maybe three. Once I accumulate a full bag of canned and dry foods, I’ll run it to the food bank. How about you?
© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
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