Real-World Cost of Living
Oregon Self-Sufficiency Standard
A data-driven measure that defines the minimum income a family requires to meet all basic necessities—including housing, childcare, food, transportation, and healthcare—without the use of public or private assistance.
Unlike the federal poverty level, which uses a “one-size-fits-all” approach based on outdated data, this Standard adjusts for the specific costs of different Oregon counties and accounts for the unique needs of varying family compositions. It provides a realistic “no-frills” budget that represents true financial independence in today’s economy.
To help you explore these benchmarks, we have included two tools below: the Self-Sufficiency Standard Calculator to determine specific income needs for your area, and the Demographic Dashboard to understand which Oregon households are currently falling short of these goals.
Tools Not Available on Mobile
The Self-Sufficiency Standard Calculator and Demographic Dashboard are not available on mobile devices due to formatting constraints. Please switch to a full-size browser to use them.
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