Minimum Wage and Cost of Living
Start Date
April 2025
Location
3rd floor - Library
Abstract
Minimum wage and the cost of living are both issues that are directly intertwined in our society. In this study, I use economic data from 2025 to examine how state minimum wage rates affect cost of living, grocery costs, average housing costs, and average utility costs by state. I hypothesize that states with higher minimum wages will have higher costs of living than states with lower minimum wages. I also examine the question longitudinally by examining the relationship between minimum wages in 2010 and changes in costs of living between 2010 and 2025.
Minimum Wage and Cost of Living
3rd floor - Library
Minimum wage and the cost of living are both issues that are directly intertwined in our society. In this study, I use economic data from 2025 to examine how state minimum wage rates affect cost of living, grocery costs, average housing costs, and average utility costs by state. I hypothesize that states with higher minimum wages will have higher costs of living than states with lower minimum wages. I also examine the question longitudinally by examining the relationship between minimum wages in 2010 and changes in costs of living between 2010 and 2025.
