What should the minimum wage in Phoenix be

As the race for the White House heats up in the coming months, one thing bound to be an issue for the presidential candidates is income equality and the continued struggle of low-income families to stay afloat.

But as politicians argue over the minimal wage and if it should be raised or not, professor Amy Glasmier of MIT examined how great the gap is between the minimum wage and the amount of money need to meet a minimum standard of living.

Glasmier developed a living wage calculator which examined the minimal wage and compares it to the estimated costs of living. The calculator separates between single adult, single parent with one child and a family of four with two spouses and two children.

For Maricopa County the gap for a family is $16.19 between the minimum wage of $7.90 and and a living wage needed of $24.09. For a single parent with one child, the gap is $14.80 with a needed living wage of $22.70. The gap for a single adult is $2.77 with a needed living wage of $10.67.

The calculator looks at every county in the country and adds there are variations between counties in urban areas versus rural areas. A city may have a relative high minimum wage, but there’s still a large gap because the cost of living is high. However, the gab is less in rural areas where the cost of living is lower.

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