Self-Sufficient Wages

Index: Economy / Subcategory: Individual / Measure: Self-Sufficient Wages

Self-Sufficient Wages - Charts

What this chart shows: Annual Self-Sufficiency Income for Colorado 'Big 10' Counties - 2004 & 2008

Annual Self-Sufficiency Income for Colorado 'Big 10' Counties - 2004 & 2008

Data Sources: Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2004: A Family Needs Budget and The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2008: A Family Needs Budget

See data table

What these data tell us:
The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute's 2008 report indicates that a family of four in Larimer County needs a minimum of $52,161 annually to afford food, shelter, transportation, health and child care, among other basic necessities. This represents a 20% increase from the 2004 report. Larimer County is the sixth most affordable among the Big 10 counties. The most expensive county to live in was Boulder (requiring $60,850) and the least costly Big 10 county was Pueblo ($42,765). Denver was the only county to reduce (by 4%) its annual basic needs salary from the previous report issued in 2004. Larimer County experienced the largest increase, with El Paso a close second (17%) for the same period. The $711 increase in the Larimer County self-sufficiency monthly budget is primarily attributable to increases in Taxes ($186), Food ($138) and Health Care ($132).

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What this chart shows: Self-Sufficiency Hourly Wage by Family Type, Larimer County - 2004 & 2008

Self-Sufficiency Hourly Wage by Family Type, Larimer County - 2004 & 2008

* Note: The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute made methodological changes that improved the accuracy of their 2004 report.

Data Sources: Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, The 2004 Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado: A Family Needs Budget, and The 2008 Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado: A Family Needs Budget

See data tables

What these data tell us:
In 2008, a single parent raising one infant, one preschooler, and one school age child, would need an hourly wage of $30.11 to purchase their basic family needs. The minimum hourly wage that would meet basic needs in Larimer County varies by family type.

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Data Tables:

'Big 10' Colorado County Self-Sufficient Wage Comparison, 2001, 2004 & 2008

County	Family of Four: Two Adults, 1 Preschooler, 1 School Age
County	2001	2004	2008
Pueblo	$36,558	$36,965	$42,765
Mesa	$35,569	$37,951	$43,194
Denver	$45,280	$48,065	$45,947
Weld	$38,779	$43,868	$47,834
El Paso	$38,979	$42,145	$49,383
Larimer	$41,954	$43,637	$52,161
Adams	$45,698	$46,078	$52,487
Arapahoe	$47,648	$49,444	$53,005
Jefferson	$49,840	$47,544	$53,849
Boulder	$50,257	$53,100	$60,850

Sources: The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2001: A Family Needs Budget,

The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2004: A Family Needs Budget,

The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2008: A Family Needs Budget

See chart

2001 - Larimer County Self-Sufficiency Budget/Wages

Monthly Costs 2001	Adult	Adult + infant	Adult + pre-schooler	Adult + infant, preschooler	Adult + school age teen	Adult + infant, preschooler, school age	2 Adults + infant, pre-schooler	2 Adults + pre-schooler, school age
Housing	571	704	704	704	704	979	704	704
Child Care	0	542	550	1,092	363	1,455	1,092	913
Food	168	246	255	330	437	444	475	521
Transportation	218	225	225	225	225	225	397	397
Health Care	72	246	225	268	273	289	323	301
Miscellaneous	103	196	196	262	200	339	299	284
Taxes	240	440	439	579	355	821	604	540
Earned Income Tax Credit (-)	0	0	0	0	-73	0	0	0
Child Care Tax Credit (-)	0	-40	-40	-80	-40	-80	-80	-80
Child Tax Credit (-)	0	-42	-42	-83	-83	-125	-83	-83

Self-Sufficiency Wage - Hourly	$7.80	$14.30	$14.27	$18.73	$13.41	$24.69	per adult $10.60	per adult $9.93
Monthly	$1,373	$2,517	$2,511	$3,296	$2,360	$4,346	$3,729	$3,496
Annual	$16,474	$30,203	$30,129	$39,555	$39,555	$52,156	$44,754	$41,954

2004 - Larimer County Self-Sufficiency Budget/Wages

Monthly Costs 2004	Adult	Adult +infant	Adult + pre-schooler	Adult + infant, pre-schooler	Adult + school age teen	Adult + infant, pre-schooler, school age	2 Adults + pre-schooler, school age	2 Adults + infant, pre-schooler
Housing	597	739	739	739	739	1026	739	739
Child Care	0	590	663	1253	347	1600	1010	1253
Food	182	266	276	358	473	481	565	515
Transportation	225	230	230	230	230	230	443	443
Health Care	88	207	219	227	257	246	276	265
Miscellaneous	109	203	213	281	205	358	303	322
Taxes	253	413	456	604	287	870	566	668
Earned Income Tax Credit (-)	0	0	0	0	-127	0	0	0
Child Care Tax Credit (-)	0	-68	-65	-105	-73	-100	-100	-100
Child Tax Credit (-)	0	-83	-83	-167	-133	-250	-167	-167

Self-Sufficiency Wage - Hourly	$8.27	$14.20	$15.04	$19.43	$12.53	$25.35	per adult $10.33	per adult $11.19
Monthly	$1,455	$2,498	$2,648	$3,420	$2,205	$4,461	$3,636	$3,938
Annual	$17,456	$29,982	$31,771	$41,043	$26,465	$53,537	$43,637	$47,261

2008 - Larimer County Self-Sufficiency Budget/Wages

Monthly Costs 2008	Adult	Adult + infant	Adult + pre-schooler	Adult + infant, pre-schooler	Adult + school age, teenager	Adult + infant, pre-schooler, school age	2 Adults + infant, pre-schooler	2 Adults + pre-schooler, school age
Housing	666	807	807	807	807	1175	807	807
Child Care	0	651	727	1378	387	1765	1378	1114
Food	226	331	341	445	591	600	640	703
Transportation	243	249	249	249	249	249	478	478
Health Care	126	325	324	336	373	359	396	408
Miscellaneous	126	236	245	321	241	415	370	351
Taxes	297	555	593	786	421	1085	830	752
Earned Income Tax Credit (-)	0	0	0	0	-82	0	0	0
Child Care Tax Credit (-)	0	-60	-58	-100	-63	-100	-100	-100
Child Tax Credit (-)	0	-83	-83	-167	-167	-250	-167	-167

Self-Sufficiency Wage - Hourly	$9.57	$17.11	$17.87	$23.04	$15.67	$30.11	per adult $13.16	per adult $12.35
Monthly	$1,684	$3,012	$3,146	$4,056	$2,759	$5,299	$4,632	$4,347
Annual	$20,208	$36,141	$37,752	$48,670	$33,105	$63,583	$55,584	$52,161

Sources: The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2008: A Family Needs Budget,

See chart