Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
9 <br /> Chart 5 <br /> 1997 Health And Human Services Poverty Guidelines <br /> Number Of People In Family Minimum Hourly Wage <br /> 1 $ 3.79 <br /> 2 $ 5.10 <br /> 3 $6.41 <br /> 4 $ 7.71 <br /> 5 $ 9.02 <br /> Method 2 - Federal Poverty Level Adjusted for Local Cost of Living <br /> A second method would be to index the federal poverty level using the American Chamber of <br /> Commerce Research Association's cost of living index. The index provides an estimate of the <br /> local cost of living compared to the national average. The latest figures available show Chapel <br /> Hill's cost of living at 114.5 percent of the national average, or 14.5 percent more expensive. The <br /> Raleigh-Durham region is indexed at 103.0 percent, or 3 percent more expensive. Chart 6 shows <br /> federal poverty levels, adjusted for the cost of living. <br /> CHART 6 <br /> 1997 Health And Human Services Poverty Guidelines <br /> Adjusted For Local Cost Of Living age Per Hour <br /> Number in Family Adjusted For Chapel Hill Adjusted For Raleigh- <br /> Durham Region <br /> 1 $ 4.33 $ 3.90 <br /> 2 $5.84 $ 5.25 <br /> 3 $7.33 $ 6.60 <br /> 4 $8.83 $ 7.94 <br /> 5 $10.33 $ 9.29 <br /> In the first two methods, the minimum income needed to meet poverty guidelines varies greatly, <br /> depending on family size. In the March 1997 Welfare Reform Update, the Orange County <br /> Department of Social Services provided the information in Chart 7, which shows the size of <br /> families currently needing temporary assistance. <br />