Here's How Much You Need To Earn To Live In Bergen County

Bergen County is one of the most expensive places in live in New Jersey, information from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows.

The EPI recently released its 2018 family budget calculator that estimates how costly it is to live in each of the United States' 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas.

The EPI estimates that a family of two adults and two children in Bergen County would need to earn $8,754 a month — or $105,042 annually — to live comfortably.

Here's how the numbers are broken down:

Housing: $1,671
Food: $870
Child care: $1,699
Transportation: $1,059
Health care: $1,125
Other necessities: $1,025
Taxes: $1,304

Bergen is behind just Hunterdon and Somerset counties in New Jersey in terms of what the same family of four would need to live. A Somerset County family would need $9,187. A Hunterdon County family would need $9,288.

In nearby Passaic County, a family would need $8,124, according to the EPI.

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."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, 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.

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 earn 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

Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Image via Google Maps