According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, the cheapest state to live in, on average is Kentucky.
A single person living with no children in Kentucky requires a minimum wage of $15.70 to cover what the MIT class as 'essentials' Eg. food, water, electricity, housing.
2 adults living with one child need to BOTH be earning $17.12 per hour minimum to cover their needs and their child's.
These are based on full time 40 hour per week jobs, in statistically the cheapest state in the country for essentials.
A 'mid price' state like Illinois is $18.44 for a single adult. $19.35 for two adults with a child.
Theres a real and serious danger here where the government buckles, and doubles the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and people are still living pay check to pay check. But corporations will spin it as them doing something to help the poorest Americans.
Then in 3-4 years when working 70 hours over two jobs at $15 an hour isn't even enough for the basics everyone gets branded as lazy and ungrateful. (again)
Given record breaking inflation, and the continued economic fallout from the pandemic, the conversation needs to be changed NOW from $15/h to $20, or $25.
$15/h might have been a good target 2-3 years ago, but it's no longer sufficient.