Among policymakers, the federal poverty line tends to be the go-to number in discussions of wage and quality of life. However, researchers at public policy think tanks say since poverty isn’t a desirable outcome, there are better ways to measure the effects of public programs.
One of them, the Economic Policy Institute’s (EPI) Family Budget Calculator, factors in family size, state and area, to determine the income needed to provide an “adequate but modest” life. ...