Mapping the Minimum Wage

Using GIS to Map the Minimum Wage

Yesterday Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York formally approved the increase of the state’s minimum wage for fast-food workers to $15 an hour.  This is the first time any state has set the minimum wage that high.

To see what wage level American workers need to support their families, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) created an ESRI story map tool called Living Wage Calculator.  The tool maps the difference between minimum wage and the basic cost of living across America. 

Users can choose three types of households: a parent with a spouse and two children, a single parent with one child, or a single adult.  The calculator maps the difference between the cost of living to get by and the minimum wage.  The darker red the county or city on the map, the greater the gap in need. 

For information about using ESRI GIS software to create story maps or other cartographic resources, please contact the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection at 765-285-1097.