A new report by the University of Washington-Seattle has found that a family of four needs nearly $80,000 annually to survive without help in Delaware County, writes Alfred Lubrano for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

To survive without help in Delaware County, a household of two adults, a preschooler, and a school-age child need to bring in $79,861 annually.

This includes $1,157 per month for housing, $1,945 for child care, $685 for health-related expenses, $907 for food, $596 for transportation, $529 for miscellaneous expenses, and $1,269 for taxes.

This budget is designed to cover the most basic needs of the entire family without the help of subsidies or private assistance.

Many families are not able to afford these costs on what they earn and are looking for help wherever they can get it.

“They use grandparents or extended family for child care,” said John Caskey, an economics professor at Swarthmore College. “They move to find cheaper rent. Something’s got to give. People are out there making compromises.”

A Philadelphia family needs $70,000 just to survive, while those living in Chester County need nearly $80,000.

Read more about the report’s findings at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

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