Struggling to Move Up: The Real Cost Measure in California 2021
Summary: This update of the Real Cost Measure seeks to assess the true costs of living in California and the hardships households face in meeting them in 2021.
Findings: One in three households (33%, representing 3.5 million families) earn below the Real Cost Measure (RCM). The RCM varies significantly throughout the state, with 11% of households living below the RCM in the San Ramon/Danville region in Contra Costa County and 80% of households living below the RCM in the Southeast/East Vernon region of Los Angeles. More than 1.7 million Latino, more than 1 million white, 483,000 Asian, and 260,000 Black or African American households live below the RCM. Over half of households with children ages 6 and younger live below RCM. Foreign-born households and those with less education are more likely to live below RCM. High housing costs are the primary burden for struggling households.
The Elder Index was adopted and used to calculate the RCM.
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