The median income exceeds $70,000 in Evergreen and $58,000 in the surrounding area (non-metro Jefferson County). Yet one out of every four households in the area has an income which meets the national definition of working poor - a family of four with an income of less than $28,000. An individual working full time at minimum wage earns $10,712/year before taxes - $2,600 below the federal poverty line for a family of three.
The average rental price for a two bedroom is about $1100. Two minimum wage earners would each have to work 82 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom place at 30% of their combined income. Working 40 hours a week, a person would have to make $21.39/hr. to afford the average 2-bedroom place at 30% of their income. These figures, combined with the 1% vacancy rate, make it almost impossible for many people who work in our community to live here.
