WouldnÛªt it be nice to know what families need to make ends meet in your community? Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) has unveiled its new Economic Security Database, which provides that exact information in a user-friendly tool. The database provides comprehensive information on how much it costs for families and retired elders to cover their most basic expenses, including housing, food, health care and transportation. It
places reliable economic security data conveniently at the fingertips of policy makers, advocates, service providers and families.
The Basic Economic Security TablesTM (BEST) Index is a wide-ranging measure of the incomes that families of all shapes and sizes need to achieve economic security. All of the available BEST data is gathered in one domain. The Economic Security Database allows users not only to find data for your county and family type but also to compare personal budgets to the expenses of the local BEST Index; compare expenses across locations and family types; and download state and county-specific data that is relevant to you, demonstrating the importance of reducing major expenses and increasing incomes for the many families across the country.åÊ
The Elder Index is a similar measure of well- being that looks at the income older adults need to meet their basic needs.
Additional information about the database, including a step-by-step guide for new users and the slides of a recent introductory webinar, is available on WOWÛªs website. For further information, contact Matt Unrath.