Self-sufficiency wages in Denver are similar to D.C. and Phoenix

While Denver and especially Grand Junction are less expensive than some other places with which they have been compared, families with one adult, one preschooler, and one school-age child in Denver require hourly wages that are over three times the (and in Grand Junction two and a half times) Colorado minimum wage of $7.36 per hour to meet their basic needs.

The graph below shows self-sufficiency wages for one adult, one preschooler and one school-age child in Denver, Grand Junction and other cities.

Learn more by checking out the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2011, a measurement of the true cost of making ends meet for Colorado families.