New United Way study finds 27% of Bay Area households are struggling to meet basic needs

MEDIA CONTACT:
Blake Case
(601) 832-6079
blake@emccommunications.com

San Francisco, April 29, 2025 – Over one in four San Francisco Bay Area working families struggled to cover their daily needs in 2023, according to new data released by United Ways of California. The Real Cost Measure 2025 factors the costs of housing, health care, child care, transportation and other basic needs that are not captured by the outdated federal poverty measurement to reveal the true cost of a decent standard of living in California. According to the study, it takes, on average, $136,872 per year for a family of two adults and two children to afford basic needs in the San Francisco Bay Area, an increase of nearly $12,000 since the Real Cost Measure was last calculated in 2023.

“This new Real Cost Measure data shows what many of us in the Bay Area already know: too many of our neighbors are working hard but their paychecks don’t cover basic needs,” said Keisha Browder, CEO of United Way Bay Area. “This means kids with hopes and dreams are growing up experiencing poverty. Their parents are working hard to raise a family, but it’s becoming more difficult each year. We’re talking about affording a basic standard of living, one that is decent. Working full-time and putting your kids to bed hungry? That isn’t decent, that’s absurd, and that’s why we continue to mobilize generosity in the Bay Area to advance solutions that break the cycle of poverty.”

The Real Cost Measure webpage includes findings for each California county, down to the neighborhood level, interactive maps, and a calculator feature which allows individuals to calculate how much a household in their specific area needs to earn to make ends meet.

“While there have been bright spots such as increases in the minimum wage and reduction in the unemployment rate, plus temporary subsidies during the COVID pandemic, we still see a rising number of working families falling below the Real Cost Measure,” said Pete Manzo, president and CEO of United Ways of California. “We are seeing families forced into impossible choices, like forgoing adequate child care, delaying health treatments or going hungry. California leaders must pursue policies that will make a difference for working families, starting with expanding tax credits, improving Californians’ access to income support programs and increasing support for renters.”

The Real Cost Measure in California 2025 study takes into account the true cost of basic needs that goes beyond the federal poverty line to reflect the actual cost of living (including food, housing, transportation, child care, out-of-pocket health expenses and taxes). Demographic findings are calculated using the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, the latest available as of this release. To learn more about the study, visit unitedwaysca.org/realcost.

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About United Way Bay Area
United Way Bay Area (UWBA) mobilizes the Bay Area to assist people living in poverty and to dismantle the root causes of poverty. One of the most respected and highly effective philanthropic organizations fighting poverty, UWBA supports workers and students seeking employment and better careers, helps families struggling to meet basic needs, supports our neighbors toward achieving their financial stability goals, and advocates for housing justice for all Bay Area residents. Learn more at uwba.org.