This site has a pretty major flaw. It assumes one worker regardless of the number of adults, and it also charges for childcare. So really, both adults could work for half of the wage in the 2-adult models.
I'm not begrudging people that live near the poverty line higher wages. I'm just saying that the site is very misleading.
The most obvious flaw: a "living wage" should be the same in areas within short commuting distance of one another. Just live in whichever place is cheaper. An example:
Living wage in New York City is $7.72, while that in Jersey City or Hoboken is $11.28; the main difference is rent ($484 in New York, $884 in Jersey). So a person making only $8/hour in Jersey City can simply live in New York City and commute (the exact opposite of what people do in real life).
Another flaw is that their costs for rent are a load of crap. Out of the 5 cities I feel qualified to comment on (NYC, Jersey City, Hoboken, New Brunswick and Union City), and only one (Jersey City) was remotely accurate.
[Edit: another serious flaw I just noticed is child care for 2 adults, 1-2 children. If we talk about the "living wage" for one adult, the other adult can provide child care for free. Or each adult need only make "living wage"/2.]
Same with Chicago. --I don't know where they expect you to live for $337/month. And somehow they're trying to claim that Raleigh, NC is more expensive at $384 - not a chance.
Here's another weird bit: in my area the "medical" cost for one adult is $79 a month. But for two adults it's $226 a month. How the hell does that work?
With two adults it's usually a male and a female who engage in activities that create a new life, and there's a cost for that new life even before it is born.
Or are they thinking that two people will dislike each other enough to shoot or stab or beat on each other thus increasing the medical costs?
The site may be imperfect but at least it tries to offer some comparative info. I've never seen another site that does the same ... not in such an easy to understand format anyways.
I'm not begrudging people that live near the poverty line higher wages. I'm just saying that the site is very misleading.