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In setting the poverty line, the U.S. government uses an absolute definition of poverty. Whether or not the official government poverty line is a fair estimate of how much it costs to get by in today's society is an open question. In 2003, the poverty line established by the U.S. government assumed that a family of four making more than $18,400 dollars per year (or $1,533 per month) was not considered poor. Answer the following questions about the cost of living in your community in order to assess whether this is an adequate estimate of minimal living expenses. Finally, see how other students using Reel Society and participating in this poll answered the questions.

1

In your community, how much would a family pay per month for a two-bedroom apartment?
A)less than $400
B)$401-$600
C)$601-$1,000
D)more than $1,000
2

In your community, how much would a family of four pay per month for groceries?
A)less than $200 per month
B)$201-$300 per month
C)$301-$500 per month
D)more than $500 per month
3

In your community, how much would a family of four pay per month for utilities (heat, water, electricity, phone)?
A)less than $125 per month
B)$126-$200 per month
C)$201-$400 per month
D)more than $400 per month
4

In your community, how much would a family of four pay per month for transportation costs (car or mass transit)?
A)less than $100 per month
B)$101-$200 per month
C)$201-$400 per month
D)more than $400 per month
5

Bearing in mind that these are only a few of the monthly expenses that a family would encounter, do you think that a family of four can adequately meet their expenses on $18,400 per year?
A)yes
B)no





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