Additional Resources
IWPR’s Economic Security for Survivors (ESS) Project is excited to share three publications during Domestic Violence Awareness Month – (1) state fact sheets on basic economic security, (2) a briefing paper on understanding the costs of sexual harassment and assault at work, and (3) a survey report on the economic effects of intimate partner violence. Today, IWPR released updated national, state, and county data on the BEST Index. State fact sheets and a national overview fact sheet are also available at
iwpr.org/BEST. County data is available at
http://www.basiceconomicsecurity.org/.
ABOUT THE BEST INDEX
The Basic Economic Security Tables (BEST) Index provides a measure of how much income working adults of different family types need to be economically secure in each state and county in the United States. The BEST Index estimates the hourly, monthly, and annual income needed for different family types to meet their basic monthly expenses—such as housing, food, transportation, and child care expenses—and save for emergencies and retirement. The BEST Index was originally developed by Wider Opportunities for Women and the Center for Social Development at Washington University-St. Louis, and is maintained by IWPR.
FINDINGS FROM 2018 BEST INDEX
1 in 3 working adults in the United States is economically insecure. Those who are more likely to experience economic insecurity include people of color and families headed by single mothers, while White men and married couples without children are most likely to be able to meet basic economic security expenses.
Living above the federal poverty threshold is not enough for basic economic security. For instance, a single working parent with one infant needs $50,916 per year, more than triple the federal poverty line of $16,895 for a household with one adult and one child.
National Fact Sheet - Basic Economic Security in the United States: How Much Income Do Working Adults Need in Each State?
51 state fact sheets - includes data on basic economic security by gender, race/ethnicity, and household type for each state.
Social Media Kit – includes sample content for each state.
