Grady Newsource Explains: Athens-Clarke County Livable Wages

By Blis Savidge

Improving the standard of living was a key issue at the Athens-Clarke County Federation of Neighborhoods program on Monday night. County Commissioner Melissa Link challenged the Georgia legislators who attended to consider pushing the state to allow local governments more control over minimum wages.

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the livable wage in Athens for one single adult is $10.17 an hour. That wage goes up considerably to $20.34 an hour for one single adult and his or her child.

With the federal minimum wage currently $7.25 an hour, single adults who are working at minimum wage are making $2.92 less than they need, according to MIT’s livable wage calculator. The same federal wage has adults with one child making $13.09 less than they need to be making in order to live in Athens, Ga.