This project gathers information on what a living wage should be for individuals living in Central Florida in an effort to help determine what career path an individual mentee should take on sweettrades.org. Below are the MIT living wage calculations that will be utilized as responses to data coming in from users to determine what a living wage should be by county:
- Alachua County, Florida
- Brevard County, Florida
- Citrus County, Florida
- Columbia County, Florida
- DeSoto County, Florida
- Dixie County, Florida
- Flagler County, Florida
- Gilchrist County, Florida
- Glades County, Florida
- Hamilton County, Florida
- Hardee County, Florida
- Hendry County, Florida
- Hernando County, Florida
- Highlands County, Florida
- Hillsborough County, Florida
- Indian River County, Florida
- Lake County, Florida
- Lafayette County, Florida
- Levy County, Florida
- Madison County, Florida
- Manatee County, Florida
- Marion County, Florida
- Okeechobee County, Florida
- Orange County, Florida
- Osceola County, Florida
- Pasco County, Florida
- Pinellas County, Florida
- Polk County, Florida
- Putnam County, Florida
- St. Johns County, Florida
- St. Lucie County, Florida
- Sarasota County, Florida
- Seminole County, Florida
- Sumter County, Florida
- Suwannee County, Florida
- Union County, Florida
- Volusia County, Florida
Custom calculations will also be optional for users who may want to include factors not taken into account on the MIT Living Wage Benchmark.
- Basic Needs: The MIT Living Wage Calculator estimates a living wage for a single person in Orlando with no children to be around $46,645 before taxes. This covers basic necessities like groceries, a modest apartment, healthcare, and transportation.
- Comfortable Living: A single person would need to make $67,740 after taxes to afford a comfortable lifestyle which includes some flexibility for spending beyond basic needs.
- Family Size: The cost of living increases significantly with a family. MIT’s calculator can help estimate the living wage for different family size.
- Debt: If you have student loans or other debts, you’ll need to factor those into your budget.
- Lifestyle: Your definition of “comfortable” may vary. If you enjoy eating out or going to theme parks often, you'll need to make more than the base living wage.
Overall, a living wage in Orlando can range from around $46,645 for basic needs to $67,740 or more for a comfortable lifestyle. We'll need to help the user find the wage that will meet their individual needs, and suggest career paths based on those needs.