Data presented here represent the income required for a family of four in different urban geographic areas to have purchasing power equal to three times the federal poverty level (300% FPL), or $63,600, at the national average in 2008. Comparable data for those residing in rural areas are not available. Alaska and Hawaii have higher official poverty levels - $79,500 and $73,140, respectively, for a family of four at 300% FPL - but the relative amounts shown in this table for those states are based on the level for the $63,600 level for the 48 contiguous states and DC.

Income levels are calculated based on the ACCRA Cost of Living Index (COLI), which collects information on relative price levels for consumer goods and services in 290 participating areas for a mid-management standard of living. The index includes relative prices for housing, grocery items, utilities, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services. Taxes are not included in this index. The index does not measure inflation, but compares prices at a single point in time. For more information about the COLI, please see http://www.coli.org/AboutIndex.asp.

Dollar amounts represent the income required in each urban area to enjoy a standard of living equal the national average of $63,600 for a familiy of four at three times the poverty level.

Percentage amounts represent what that cost of living-adjusted income would be as a percentage of poverty in each urban area.

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured analysis based on the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER)'s ACCRA Cost of Living Index (COLI) for the third quarter of 2008. COLI data are available by subscription at http://www.coli.org/.

The COLI provides data on selected urban areas in each state. This table presents the urban areas with the highest, lowest, and middle COLI values in each state. States with only two areas in the COLI are shown with only a highest and lowest value; the middle value is listed as NA. States with one area in the COLI are shown with only a middle value; highest and lowest are listed as NA. For states with an odd number of areas, the middle value is the median value. For states with an even number of at least four areas, the middle value is the area with the value closest to but below the median.

Please click here to view the names of included areas for each state.

The federal poverty level (FPL) is based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) "poverty guidelines" which are used in determining financial eligibility for many government programs. The federal poverty level for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and DC is $21,200 in 2008. For more information on measures of poverty, please see the detailed description provided by HHS available at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/faq.shtml.