Living wage in Benzie County, Michigan, 2027
The 2027 living wage in Benzie County, Michigan is $26.64 an hour for each worker, for a typical family of four (two adults and two children). This assumes full-time work (2,080 hours a year) and about 1.75 full-time-equivalent workers in a typical family.
Where the costs come from
Rate county Wexford County, MI sets this rate.
This is the lowest-cost commuting county from which the cost-of-living figures are pulled for this living wage. Wexford County, MI is within a one-hour commute of Benzie County, MI.
The costs in Benzie County, MI itself would give $28.81 an hour. The published rate uses the lower figure.
What the family’s income covers
Monthly amounts for a typical family of four, using the costs in Wexford County, MI. Amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so they may not add exactly.
| Cost | Share | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | 13.4% | $1,084 |
| Food | 11.9% | $964 |
| Transportation | 21.4% | $1,725 |
| Health carepremiums after credits, plus out-of-pocket costs | 13.9% | $1,121 |
| Carechild care, elder care and retirement saving | 11.7% | $947 |
| Other necessities | 11.1% | $895 |
| Resiliency margina margin for unexpected costs, set at 5% of the net living wage before accounting for public benefits | 4.9% | $391 |
| Taxesfederal, state, local and payroll, net of credits | 11.6% | $939 |
| Income needed (before taxes, all costs and taxes) | 100% | $8,067 |
How the hourly wage is worked out: the family needs about $8,067 a month, which is $96,802 a year. $96,802 ÷ (2,080 hours × 1.7471 typical workers per family) = $26.64 an hour.
A floor, not a ceiling
The living wage is the least a worker needs to earn to support a typical family here. It is a floor, not a ceiling. A living wage does not have to come from hourly pay alone: if an employer offers benefits or bonuses, or workers receive tips, total compensation may already reach it.
Leading Living Wage Certification
For employers that have achieved the full living wage for every worker. The living wage for Benzie County, MI is $26.64 an hour. We count each worker’s total compensation, including pay, benefits, bonuses and tips, when we assess against this rate.
Pledged Living Wage Employer
For employers that publicly commit to achieving a living wage. Each year we check that they keep up with living wage rate increases and close gaps for workers paid below a living wage, at a rate of 3% of overall wages for those workers, in addition to inflationary increases. The pledged rate for Benzie County, MI is $19.00 an hour. We count each worker’s total compensation, including pay, benefits, bonuses and tips, when we assess against this rate.
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Using this data
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To cite this page: Living Wage for Us, 2027 living wage for Benzie County, Michigan, https://livingwageforus.org/living-wage-rates/mi/benzie-county/