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Orange County families are working hard, but it shouldn’t be this hard to get by

May 3, 2025

This week, United Ways of California released the latest Real Cost Measure in California report, offering a clear look at what it actually costs to live in our communities. Unlike the federal poverty measure, which has often been criticized for being outdated, the Real Cost Measure looks at the true costs of housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, and taxes. The findings are eye-opening and confirm what many people have been feeling for a long time.

In Orange County, the Real Cost Measure shows that a family of four with two working adults, a preschooler, and a school-aged child needs $127,888 a year just to meet basic needs. Meanwhile, the median household income in the county is $115,206. The gap between what families earn and what they actually need may not seem huge on paper, but it is real. Every month, thousands of families come up short and are forced to find ways to make it work. The report finds that to meet the cost of living, families need the equivalent of three full-time minimum wage incomes — just to get by.

When your income does not fully cover your needs, you make tough choices. You rely on family members for free childcare because the cost of daycare is simply too high. You skip the expensive, healthier food options and settle for cheaper, less healthy meals. You delay going to the doctor or the dentist, hoping that small problems do not turn into bigger ones. You stop adding to your savings account or your retirement fund because every dollar is crucial to getting through today. You put off expenses that feel like they can wait, even though they are often important for long-term health and stability.

This way of living might allow families to survive in Orange County for another month, or even another year. But it also means that many households are just one unexpected event away from financial tragedy. What happens when the family member who watches your children gets sick? What happens when a small cavity turns into a thousand dollar root canal? What happens when the car you depend on to get to work breaks down and the repair costs more than your emergency savings?

The daily pressure of living paycheck to paycheck takes a serious toll. Stress caused by financial insecurity is tied to long-term health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and mental health struggles. Over time, the cost of living this way adds up not just in dollars but in years of a person’s life.

It is important to understand that this struggle is not because people are not working hard enough. In fact, the Real Cost Measure shows that 98 percent of households falling below the standard have at least one working adult. Many families are working multiple jobs, sacrificing their own health, and doing everything they can to stay afloat. Orange County is not a passive community. It is filled with hard-working families who are making major efforts to build a better life. But it is hard, much harder than it should be.

Living in Orange County should not require constant sacrifice. It should not mean living with the daily fear that one unexpected bill could tear everything apart. It should not force families to choose between a healthy meal or paying rent, between seeing a doctor or keeping the lights on.

The release of the Real Cost Measure is a major wake-up call for all of us. It gives us clear proof that far too many families are living on the edge. It challenges us to do better for our neighbors, by supporting policies and programs that make childcare more affordable, healthcare easier to access, housing more within reach, and good paying jobs more available.

Getting by should not be the accepted standard for Orange County families. Thriving must be the goal.

Andrew Fahmy is the Executive Director of the United for Financial Security Initiative at Orange County United Way and is an appointed member of the Orange County Workforce Development Board.

Orange County Register

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Orange County families are working hard, but it shouldn’t be this hard to get by

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