$30,000 / year (after any taxes)...

It is possible to have such low living costs that income can be low. And outgo can be very large, leaving to minimal or no extra, failing behind.

Basic food, housing, healthcare, clothing, etc, and a bit over, enough so an emergency does not cause a huge distress.


Sorry, no numbers, it depends. I've lived at official poverty level well, and at official poverty level with much anxiety.

the level is one in less expensive areas and probably twice as high in places like NJ.

The poverty level in my low-cost-of-living area should be around 28K. I can say that because I raised a family of four on about that for some years, without government assistance (besides the tax credits), and barely scraped by. That was possible here, though very stressful and far from easy. Other places it would have been impossible.

My income is close to double that now, and its still hard to get used to the idea that there is actually money left in the bank at the end of the month, or the idea that the whole thing isn't a house of cards that could just collapse or just go away at any moment.

about 28k. In some places 25k might be just enough to get by in other cases it might take 35k just to scrap by. Rents in some places for a two bedroom start at over 800 a month and that would be in a terrible neighborhood. If they own a home then there are other expenses to deal with even if the mortgage comes well under 800 a month. I am assuming this is for two working adults and neither has a job much above entry level pay.

$43,000/yr

Non-Section 8 Rent alone takes up close to 3/4 of that where we live, with high food and utility costs and poor transportation options to get to jobs, schools, and health care.

I also don't believe that poverty level should be set at the point where someone in the family risks death regularly from poor nutrition, exposure, or accident due to shoddy construction or hazardous materials at a residence that is either in the slums or is a makeshift homeless camp.

Poverty level should be set at the point where there is no money left after paying the average rent, utilities, health insurance and food, not at the point where the family needs the government to step in or they are homeless/face starvation and risk the break-up of the family. Poverty level should be set at the last step before falling -before a safety net is required.

Anything else is uncivilized.

Haele

$24,250.

The average of the guesses above is $30,000.

Seems I didn't aim low enough.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers, it's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

Last time I calculated that it was about $50k.