$15 wage above living cost for Arkansas DINKs, but single workers need more
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Senate bill proposes raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15, but MIT data shows that amount still falls short for many Arkansas workers.
MIT's Living Wage Calculator estimates the income individuals and families need to be self-sufficient, factoring in housing, food, transportation, childcare and taxes, with data available by state, county and metro area.
For a single adult working full-time in Arkansas, the estimated living wage is $17.23 per hour—higher than both the current federal minimum wage and the proposed $15 rate.
Among two-adult households without children, Arkansas has the lowest living wage estimate in the nation: $13.59 per hour per adult. That makes it one of the only common scenarios where a $15 wage would slightly exceed basic needs.
Here are the regional living wage estimates for two working adults with no children (commonly referred to as DINKs):
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers: $14.32/hour
Little Rock: $13.90/hour
Jonesboro: $13.40/hour
Hot Springs: $13.36/hour
Fort Smith: $13.11/hour
Pine Bluff: $13.03/hour
Family households face a much steeper climb. In Arkansas, a two-parent, two-child household must earn about $23.91 per hour per adult to cover basic living expenses. Even in Mississippi, the state with the nation's lowest estimate for families of four, each working parent still needs to earn at least $22.43 per hour.
By household type, here's how the living wage breaks down in Arkansas:
Single adult: $19.49/hour
Two adults, both working, no children: $13.59/hour each
Two adults, both working, 1 child: $18.84/hour each
Two adults, both working, 2 or more children: $23.29–$27.57/hour each
To view data for Arkansas as a whole, click here. Data can also be filtered by metro area or county.
Federal lawsuit looks to halt Arkansas' Educational Freedom Account program; claims it violates US Constitution
Arkansas is one of 18 states where two working adults without children can each earn under $15 per hour and still cover essential expenses. Other states in this category include Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri.
The bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour has bipartisan sponsorship from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
President Donald Trump previously referred to the current rate of $7.25 an hour as a 'low number' in December, but the White House declined to comment on Hawley's proposed legislation to The Hill earlier this month, Nexstar reports.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Here's an all-in-one AI tool for life for just $40
The following content is brought to you by Mashable partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation. TL;DR: Put all your AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini Pro, and in one place with a lifetime subscription to 1minAI, an all-in-one AI app, on sale for just $39.99 (reg. $234). Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1minAI: Lifetime Subscription $39.99 at The Mashable Shop $234 Save $194.01 Get Deal The free version of some AI models like ChatGPT can get the job done, but if you want the good stuff, you should consider opting for a paid subscription. 1minAI consolidates many of the most popular AI models — like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Meta AI — into one platform where you can use them all seamlessly, whether you need to generate text, images, or even full videos. A lifetime subscription to 1minAI usually costs $234, but you can get one on sale now for $39.99. 1minAI gives you one platform where you can access AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Mistral AI, and more. You don't just get the baseline version, either — 1minAI users can chat with GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, Gemini Pro 1.5, and Llama 2 or Llama 3. Like a ton of other AI platforms, 1minAI has a limit to how much you can generate every month. Unlike other platforms, the limit is incredibly high. Here's what your lifetime subscription gets you every month. First, you get a baseline of 1,000,000 credits per month. Then, every day you log in, you get an additional 15,000 free credits. These will roll over if you don't use them all, too. In practice, those huge numbers mean you could generate up to 362,500 words, research nearly 2,000 SEO keywords, generate 386 images, upscale 241 images, remove 24 backgrounds, convert text to speech for over 120,000 characters, and generate up to 12 videos. Put all your go-to AI tools in one place. Get a lifetime subscription to 1minAI for $39.99. StackSocial prices subject to change.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
FedEx founder Fred Smith dies aged 80
Fred Smith, the FedEx founder who revolutionised the express delivery industry, has died aged 80. FedEx started operating in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the US postal service could. Over the next half-century, Mr Smith, a veteran US Marine, oversaw the growth of a company that combined air and ground service and became something of an economic bellwether because so many other companies rely on it. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, FedEx grew into a global transportation and logistics company that averages 17 million shipments per business day. Mr Smith stepped down as chief executive in 2022 but remained executive chairman. A 1966 graduate of Yale University, he used a business theory he came up with in college to create a delivery system based on co-ordinated air cargo flights centred on a main hub – a 'hub and spokes' system, as it became known. The company also played a major role in the shift by American business and industry to a greater use of time-sensitive deliveries and less dependence on large inventories and warehouses. Mr Smith once told The Associated Press that he came up with the name Federal Express because he wanted the company to sound big and important when in fact it was a start-up operation with a future far from assured. At the time, he was trying to land a major shipping contract with the Federal Reserve Bank that did not work out. In the beginning, Federal Express had 14 small aircraft operating from Memphis International Airport flying packages to 25 US cities. Mr Smith's father, also named Frederick, built a small fortune in Memphis with a regional bus line and other business ventures. Following college, Mr Smith junior joined the US Marines and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He left the military as a captain in 1969 after two tours in Vietnam where he was decorated for bravery and wounds received in combat. He told The Associated Press in a 2023 interview that everything he did running FedEx came from his experience in the Marines, not what he learned at Yale. Getting Federal Express started was no easy task. Overnight shipments were new to American business and the company had to have a fleet of planes and a system of interconnecting air routes in place from the start. Though one of Memphis's best-known and most prominent citizens, Mr Smith generally avoided the public spotlight, devoting his energies to work and family. But despite his low profile, he made a cameo appearance in the 2000 movie Castaway starring Tom Hanks. The movie was about a FedEx employee stranded on an island. 'Memphis has lost its most important citizen, Fred Smith,' said US representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee, citing the FedEx's founder's support for everything from the University of Memphis to the city's zoo. 'FedEx is the engine of our economy, and Fred Smith was its visionary founder. But more than that, he was a dedicated citizen who cared deeply about our city.' Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Over the next 5 years, I think these S&P 500 stocks will make me more money than a global index fund can
Global index funds can be great long-term investments. I own a few in my own portfolio and see them as 'core' holdings. However, investors looking to generate high returns from the stock market, individual stocks should be considered as they offer the potential for bigger gains. Here's a look at two S&P 500 stocks (I'm personally backing) that I predict will outperform global tracker funds over the next five years. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has had an incredible run over the last five years, rising about 1,500%. But that doesn't mean it can't go higher. Thanks to its high-powered GPUs, this company is at the heart of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. And this is still in its early stages (one prominent Wall Street analyst recently remarked that it's only '10pm' at the AI party). Looking ahead, we're likely to see all kinds of exciting AI applications, from AI agents (which can perform business tasks autonomously) to robotics, to self-driving cars (physical AI). And Nvidia's accelerated computing technology's likely to be driving a lot of it. If the tech company can continue to generate double-digit revenue and earnings growth in the years ahead, I expect its share price to climb higher. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised to see gains of 10-20% a year over the next five years (on average), given current top- and bottom-line growth forecasts and the stock's reasonable valuation today (the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is only 34 at present). Of course, slowing growth's a risk here. This could be the result of a range of scenarios, from less business spending on AI solutions to new AI chips from competitors. All things considered however, I remain bullish. I continue to think the stock's worth considering on short-term pullbacks (which tend to come around regularly). Another S&P 500 stock I reckon has market-beating potential is Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER). It's a huge player in the rideshare and food delivery markets, with operations in over 70 countries worldwide. There are a few reasons I'm backing this stock to beat the market over the next five years. One is that revenues are increasing at a rapid rate – currently Uber's top line's growing at around 15% a year. Another is that the valuation's quite reasonable relative to the growth. Right now, the stock's trading at less than 25 times next year's earnings forecast. Add in the fact that the stock's under-owned within the institutional investment community (many investors are still discovering the story here), and there's plenty of potential. Again, I wouldn't be surprised to see gains of 10-20% a year over the next five years, on average. Now there are risks to the investment case here, of course. Fines from regulators and competition from Tesla (and its robotaxis) are two big ones worth highlighting. I think this stock has all the right ingredients to be a long-term winner though. In my view, it's definitely worth considering right now. The post Over the next 5 years, I think these S&P 500 stocks will make me more money than a global index fund can appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Edward Sheldon has positions in Nvidia and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Nvidia , Tesla, and Uber Technologies. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
