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120 pages of family self-sufficiency data for NC, county-by-county! |
The Self-Sufficiently Standard for NC (SSS) was recently unveiled at the United Way of NC annual meeting. United Way of Pitt County leadership attended to learn more about the SSS, hear from other United Ways that have utilized the SSS in their states and brainstorm way we could use it locally.
The Self-Sufficiency Standard describes how much income families of various sizes and compositions need to make ends meet without public or private assistance in each county in NC. This report analyzed over 700 different family types! (Wow!) It is based on the costs of basic needs of working families, things like housing, child care, food, health care, transportation, miscellaneous items, taxes and the impact of tax credits.
We learned that as the labor market continues to change, more and more families struggle to stretch their wages to meet the costs of basic necessities. Though these families are often not deemed "poor" by the official poverty measure, they lack enough income to meet the rising costs of food, housing, transportation, health care, and other essentials.
The Self-Sufficiency Standard for North Carolina 2017 tracks the true cost of living facing North Carolina families today. It highlights the growing gap between sluggish wages and ever-increasing expenses, clearly illuminating the economic "crunch" experienced by so many families every day.
We plan to use this information to inform our organization's conversations. We have presentation materials available and are prepared to share widely. Please let us know if you would like to learn more.
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