What is a Living Wage?
What Are Basic Needs?
Your basic needs, or living wage, is calculated based on the area you live in and several common factors.
Basic needs budget = Food cost + child care cost + (insurance premiums + out of pocket health care costs)
+ housing cost + transportation cost + other necessities cost + civic engagement + broadband
Hourly pay is based on the salary each working adult must earn to support the basic needs of their family.
As of 2024, a single adult living in Dallas County will need to earn $22.06 per hour to support their basic needs.
A single adult with one child will need to earn $36.79 per hour to support the basic needs of their family.
Two working adults with one child will each need to earn $20.44 an hour to support the basic needs of their family.
Dallas College offers a broad range of training options to help you reach your goals.
Net Price Calculator
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board provides a Net Price Calculator webpage to allow the general public the ability to access an estimated net price information for the institution they attend or plan to attend based on the user’s individual circumstances.
To see how your needs compare with others, review the list below to find the minimum hourly salary needed for each family.
One Adult in Household
Two Adults in Household (Only One Working)
Two Adults in Household (Both Working)