San Diego families need to earn $116,000 annually just to meet basic needs, according to the Real Cost measure from San Diego County United Way that highlights the growing financial strain on local households.
The figure represents what a family of four requires to cover essential expenses in one of California's most expensive regions, where nearly one-third of households struggle to make ends meet.
Around 97% of people underneath the RCM, or Real Cost Measure line, have at least one working adult. The salary needed to meet the RCM is three minimum wage, full-time jobs.
"The message is that people are struggling. That's not okay," said Nancy Sasaki, CEO of San Diego County United Way.
The study breaks down the $116,000 annual requirement for a family of four into specific categories: $28,000 for housing, $19,000 for childcare and around $18,000 for taxes. The calculation also includes miscellaneous expenses, food, medical care and transportation costs.
"Well it certainly is a scary number," Sasaki said.
The interactive study allows users to adjust variables based on household composition, revealing how costs fluctuate significantly with factors like childcare needs.
"You can go online and play around with the data and you can see what it might be when there's two teenagers ... you can see just how much it fluctuates with the cost of childcare," Sasaki said.
"Sometimes they're making trade-offs. Like, maybe I don't put as much food on the table, or maybe I don't eat as much so I can feed my children," Sasaki said.
Single-parent households face even greater challenges, with the study showing 70% of single mothers unable to make ends meet in San Diego County.
"Having been a single mom myself, the struggle is real," Sasaki said. "We need everybody to be thriving, not just a few [people]."
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