Here’s How Much You Need To Earn To Live In Boston Metro

BOSTON, MA — It's official. The Boston Metro area, including Cambridge and Quincy, is one of the priciest places to live in Massachusetts and, actually, was on the high end in the country, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The organization recently released its 2018 family budget calculator that estimates how costly it is to live in each of America’s 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, San Francisco ranked first in the nation as the most expensive metro area with a basic budget of $148,439 a year for a two-parent, two-child household. On the flipside, that same household would only need to earn $58,906 to live comfortably in Brownsville, Texas, the least expensive metro area in the country.

But back to the Boston, Quincy, Cambridge metro area: The group estimates a family of two adults and two children in the Boston,Quincy,Cambridge metro area would need to earn a combined $113,558 per year — or $9,463 a month — to “attain a modest yet adequate standard of living,” the organization said.

Here’s how the group breaks down that number:

• Housing: $1,414 per month
• Food: $845 per month
• Child Care: $2,225 per month
• Transportation: $1,103 per month
• Health Care: $837 per month
• Other Necessities: $1,056 per month
• Taxes: $1,626 per month

The family budget calculator accounts for geographic differences in cost of living, but does not include many expenses associated with a middle-class lifestyle, including student loan payments or saving for college or retirement.

“Our Family Budget Calculator goes beyond traditional measures like the poverty line to paint a detailed picture of what families need to get by,” EPI Senior Economist Elise Gould said in a release

“The latest update provides even greater detail on how costs vary throughout the country. It is above all else a tool for policymakers to advocate for ways to raise wages and make their communities more affordable.”

The group noted that many low-wage workers don’t make enough money to adequately provide for their family’s basic needs. Even after adjusting for higher state and city minimum wages, the group said, there is “nowhere in the country” where a minimum-wage worker would earn enough.

“It’s clear from our analysis that, even in less-expensive areas, many families will struggle to meet their basic needs,” said research assistant Zane Mokhiber. “The good news is we have many different ways to remedy this, from a higher minimum wage to ambitious child care reform. Policymakers should draw on a range of tools to help people meet the needs laid out in the Family Budget Calculator.”

In order for a single person to get by they'd have to make at least $46,902 to get by. And that's, again, without taking into consideration loans or other major expenses that pop up: Here's a quick snapshot of what it would look like for a single person in the area (generally):

Click here to go to to the calculator. You can change the number of adults and children to see exactly what your household needs to earn to live comfortably in your area.

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-Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

-Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch