Orange County

How much income does a Central Florida family need to make ends meet?

ORLANDO, Fla. — A new report says Central Florida families are struggling to afford just the basics.

According to numbers released Monday by the Heart of Florida United Way, a family of four would need to make $93,000 a year to make ends meet.

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United Way officials discussed the “State of Our Families” report at its annual breakfast.

The report found that 39% of local families made more than the federal poverty line.

READ: ‘This crisis is only going to get worse’: Many struggling to find affordable housing in Florida

The group said many low-wage workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic switched careers in search of a bigger pay check.

“Working for minimum wage on their feet all day wasn’t the lifestyle they wanted, a lot of folks have re-directed, pivoted in their careers,” said Jeff Hayward, president and CEO of Heart of Florida United Way.

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The group also said the least you could make to survive in Central Florida is $29,000 a year, and that some workers have to work three jobs just to survive.

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.

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