Estimate the hourly wage a full-time worker needs in Iowa to cover basic household costs.
Estimates a Iowa living wage: monthly budget grossed up for an assumed tax rate, then divided across a 2,080-hour work year. The gap line compares it with the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
Hourly
Hourly = expenses ÷ (1 − tax) ÷ 2,080
Budget estimate only.
It is a bottom-up budget; minimum wage is a legal floor, not necessarily a subsistence level.
Rates are approximate reference values. Local rates, exemptions and rules can differ, so treat the output as a planning figure only.