Graphic: Cost of living in Champaign County

In Champaign County, a family of four can spend an estimated $4,000 a month for basic expenses such as housing, food and childcare, according to calculations by the Social IMPACT Research Center.

 
This means that a family of four – including two adults, one school-aged child and one infant – needs to make about $44,000 a year (after $4,000 in tax credits) to pay for living expenses.

(To look at living costs for your own family structure, check out the Illinois Self-Sufficiency Calculator from the Social IMPACT Research Center)

Nearly 14,800 families in Champaign County make less than $45,000, according to 2008 Census Bureau estimates.
The Census poverty line for a family of four is $21,834.

Here is how a family of four’s income stacks up against monthly costs:

With an annual income of $21,834, the 2008 Census Bureau's poverty threshold for a family of four

With an annual income of $10,917, half of the 2008 Census Bureau's poverty threshold for a family of four

With an annual income of $43,668, double the 2008 Census Bureau's poverty threshold for a family of four

Sources:

The Social IMPACT Research Center

The 2008 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau