FAMILY BUDGET ESTIMATOR PROJECT
It's been well documented that the federal poverty level doesn't accurately measure today's cost of living. But what does it really take to get by in Texas?
The Center for Public Policy Priorities' Family Budget Estimator Project provides a realistic picture of what it costs families to live in each of Texas' major metropolitan areas by estimating housing, food, child care, health care, transportation, and other basic expenses without relying on public assistance.
Family Budget Estimator (FBE) Project links:
- Full Report
- Press Release
- Data by Family Type and Metro Area
- Family Stories
- Fact Sheets and Policy Recommendations
- Methodology
For national research on family economic security, see
- NCCP’s Making "Work Supports" Work Project (An effort to promote policy improvements for low-wage workers and their families by using NCCP's Family Resource Simulator to examine current work support policies and to model alternative proposals.)
- CEPR’s Bridging the Gaps Project (An examination of how low-wage working families meet their basic needs, particularly when they are eligible for, but do not receive, public benefits.)