A new report by the University of Washington has found that a family of four needs more than $70,000 a year just to survive in Philadelphia, while those living in Chester County need nearly $18,000 more, writes Alfred Lubrano for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

To survive without help in Chester County, a household of two adults, a preschooler, and a school-age child would have to bring in $87,897 annually.

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

In Chester County, this includes $1,285 per month for housing, $2,213 for child care, $685 for health-related expenses, $966 for food, $542 for transportation, $569 for miscellaneous expenses, and $1,497 for taxes.

Many families that are not able to afford these costs 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.”

Read more about the report’s findings in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.

[uam_ad id=”80503″]

.

[uam_ad id=”80502″]