15 grand divided by 12 months = 1,250 dollars a month. Average rent is 1,713 nation-wide for an average apartment size of 900 sq. ft. There is a lot of variation and this is a simplification, but it should still be noted only 14 states have an average rent below 1,250/month. So you’ll find lots of exceptions, but as a rule in a huge majority of the country a poverty line of 15,000 doesn’t even cover average monthly rent for a 20ft x 45ft space, much less food, transportation, etc.
TheFriar@lemm.ee 7 months ago
It’s absurd that in this day and age, $31,000 for a FAMILY OF FOUR is how low the supposed poverty line is. And $15,000 for an individual?! These people have no idea how little money that is today.
GrymEdm@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Ember@lemmings.world 7 months ago
If I made 31k - after taxes, rent, health insurance, and utilities there would be almost nothing left for anything else, including food.
I make just under 70k and am the sole income for a family of 5. It’s just enough to afford the essentials since the cost of groceries has gotten so damn high, and any attempts to save money are thwarted by the disaster of the month - which is usually an unexpected car repair, appliance repair/replacement, medical expenses, etc.
themeatbridge@lemmy.world 7 months ago
They know exactly how little money that is. Poor employees are the fuel for the American economy. We work ourselves to death, desperate for the chance to “earn a living” and too tired to fight for an actual fair wage. If people aren’t working too hard, they might get educations, they might find creative outlets, or engage in the civic and political processes. That shit is reserved for the rich, and they like it that way.