Data Sources

Data Type                                                    Source                                                                                 Assumptions

Child Care

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Office of Social Services, Child Care Services: 2005 Market Rate Survey

Infant: Under 3 years old. Registered Family Day Care.

Preschool: 3 – 5 years old. Day Care Center

School age: 6 – 12 years old. Registered Family Day Care. Part-time.

Food

US Department of Agriculture, Low-Cost Food Plan, May 2008. Retrieved from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/2008/CostofFoodMay08.pdf

<>ACCRA. Cost of Living Index. (2006, First Quarter average).
http://www.coli.org/

USDA plan used for all counties. Assumed single adult families headed by female.

Health Insurance

 <>Premiums: Kaiser Family Foundation. Average Annual Cost of Employment Based Health Insurance—Single & Family Coverage, 2002.
http://www.statehealthfacts.org

 

<>Out-of-Pocket Costs: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Household Component “Analytical Tool (MEPSnet/HC). Rockville, MD.
 http://www.meps.ahrq.gov

 

In addition to health insurance premiums, health costs include regional out-of-pocket costs calculated for adults, infants, preschoolers, school age children, and teenagers.

All data is updated with the Medical CPI.

Housing

 <>Department of Housing and Urban Development. Fair Market Rents-Fiscal Year 2005.http://www.huduser.org. <>National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC),

Median Gross Rent by County, 2000.
http://www.nlihc.org/research/lalihd/renterreport.pdf.

Fair Market Rents by County.

Ratios for FMRs were created for the four Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Charleston, WV; Huntington-Ashland WV-KY-OH; Steubenville-Weirton OH-WV; Wheeling WV-OH) using the NLIHC median gross rent of each county.

Taxes

 <>Federal Income Tax: US Department of Treasury – IRS 1040 Instructions.
 http://www.irs.gov/individuals/index.html

<>State Income Tax: West Virginia Department Revenue, State Tax Department. http://www.wvtax.gov/tsdPublications.html <>

Sales and Use Tax: West Virginia Department Revenue, State Tax Department.
http://www.wvtax.gov

State sales and use tax is 6% for the entire state.

Food is taxed at 5% for the entire state.

 

There is no state EITC in West Virginia

Transportation

Insurance Premiums: State Average Premiums and Expenditure 2004. National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

<>Regional Ratio: 2005 West Virginia Annual Automobile Survey. West Virginia Insurance commission. 
http://www.wvinsurance.gov/consumer/pdf/Auto_Survey.pdf <>

Fixed Costs: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Expenditures . 
http://www.bls.gov/cex
<>AAA Driving Costs. Average for 2003 vehicle.
http://www.ouraaa.com/news/library/drivingcost/driving.html <>

Mileage: National Household Travel Survey,
http://nhts.ornl.gov

Private transportation figures used in all counties.

 

County ratios are calculated using rates from the top four market share auto insurance companies in West Virginia. These ratios are applied to the state average premium to obtain variation in premium by county.

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous expenses are 10% of all other costs.

Includes all other essentials: clothing, shoes, paper products, diapers, nonprescription medicines, cleaning products, household items, personal hygiene items, and telephone.