Living Wage

A living wage is the amount of income needed to make ends meet (pay for basic living expenses) and set aside funds for some savings and potential emergencies.  

In 2016, Washingtonians voted to pass Initiative 1433, which raised the minimum wage in Washington State with the goal of keeping up with the rising cost of living. The 2023 minimum wage across Washington State is $15.74.  

Minimum wage varies across King County ($15.74-$19.06 per hour) due to local policies. Households located in King County have a higher living wage than households across Washington State due to a higher cost of living. When people have difficulty making ends meet or must work extensive hours to meet basic needs, it can have a negative effect on health, wellbeing, and family and community resiliency.   

A report released in April 2022 by Alliance for a Just Society provides living wage calculations using 2021 data. Where 2021 data was not available, available data for the closest years was adjusted for inflation to reflect 2021 dollars.  

• The state minimum wage remains lower than the calculated living wages across King County and Washington State for all household types.  

• Single-adult households with 1 child and 1 toddler experience the greatest deficit in minimum wage compared to living wage, regardless of local minimum wage, size of employer, and if an employer provides benefits.   

• Single adults with two children in King County would need to work 129 hours per week at the state minimum wage to earn a living wage. Single adults with two children working in the rest of Washington State would need to work 103 hours per week at minimum wage in order to earn a living wage.  

• The living wage in King County is over 3 times the state minimum wage for single-adult households with 1 child and 1 toddler and more than twice the state minimum wage for households of 2 adults (1 employed) and 2 children. The living wage is over 2 times the state minimum wage for households of a single adult with 1 child, and almost 2 times the state minimum wage for 2 employed adults with 2 children.  

• In part because of the cost of childcare, a single parent with a toddler and a school-age child must earn more than the employed parent in a 2-adult household in which 1 adult is employed and the other cares for the children.  

The amount of actual income earned by those in King County is highly dependent on many socioeconomic factors. Median household income varies across demographics such as age, race, and nativity, representing inequities in the attainment of basic living needs.