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FACT BRIEF

Does Wisconsin have the worst minimum wage to cost-of-living ratio in the country?

By Hope Karnopp
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YES

The minimum wage in Wisconsin covers 29.9% of the living wage for a family with two working adults and two children — the lowest percentage in the nation, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator. 

The highest percentage is in the state of Washington, where the minimum wage covers 59.8% of the living wage.

The calculator considers a "living wage" enough to cover basic needs, including food, housing and medical care. It does not include costs such as restaurants, vacations and saving for retirement.

Since 2009, Wisconsin's minimum wage has been the same as the federal rate, $7.25/hour. For a two-adult, two-child Wisconsin family, the living wage is $24.28. For one adult with no children it is $16.40. In either case, the state's minimum wage is much lower than its cost of living.

Thirty states and Washington, D.C. have minimum wages higher than the federal minimum.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
MIT A Calculation of the Living Wage
MIT About the Living Wage Calculator
MIT Living Wage Calculation for Wisconsin
National Conference of State Legislatures State Minimum Wages
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.