Washington County Is An Expensive Place To Live, Study Shows

HILLSBORO, OR — Seen by some as the industrial heartbeat of Oregon, Washington County is perhaps unsurprisingly the second priciest places to live in the state, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The organization recently released its 2018 family budget calculator that 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 Washington County would need to earn a combined $100,012 per year — or $8,334 per month — to live comfortably. Clackamas, Crook, Multnomah, and Yamhill rounded out the top five most expensive counties to live in, respectively.

Here’s how the group breaks down that number:

• Housing: $1,410 per month
• Food: $769 per month
• Child Care: $1,726 per month
• Transportation: $1,182 per month
• Health Care: $908 per month
• Other Necessities: $879 per month
• Taxes: $1,460 per month

Compared to Clackamas County, that might seem like a bargain; albeit a rather small, almost insignificant bargain.

To live in nearby Clackamas County, that same family would need to earn a combined $100,909 per year, or $8,409 every month, to “attain a modest yet adequate standard of living,” the organization said.

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.

“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.”

San Francisco ranked first in the nation 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.

In Wheeler County — the least expensive in Oregon — the same household would still need $20,000 more to live with those same comforts, according to EPI, which says a two-adult, two-child household would need $78,685 per year.

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

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