How Much You Need To Earn To Live 'Comfortably' In Warren Co.

It costs a pretty penny for residents to live comfortably in Warren County, according to the Economic Policy Institute— but it's still cheaper than any other North Jersey county. The organization's family budget calculator estimates how costly it is to live in each of America's 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas.

The group estimates a family of two adults and two children in Warren County would need to earn a combined $94,960 per year — or $9,913 a month — to live comfortably.
Here's how the group breaks down that number:

• Housing: $1,228 per month
• Food: $869 per month
• Child Care: $1,447 per month
• Transportation: $1,278 per month
• Health Care: $1,125 per month
• Other Necessities: $857 per month
• Taxes: $1,083 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.

Warren County is cheaper than any other county in North Jersey. A similarly sized family in Morris County would need to earn $104,121 to live comfortably, while a four-person family in Sussex County would want to earn $100,814. In neighboring Hunterdon County, that number rises to $111,459. It's only slightly higher in Passaic county, at $97,494. Bergen County comes in at $105,042, while Hudson County is just over $94,533.

"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."

If you think living in New Jersey is pricey, San Francisco was ranked 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.

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 earns 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."

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 county.

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report