Question: What do you calculate is the salary needed to live on LI?

Our survey did not ask this, and we have not devised a formula or number that we can confidently say is the magic number that Long Islanders need to hit in order to live on Long Island.

It’s a great question, but it’s not a question that we can answer ourselves.

However, we are able to seek out experts that spend their years studying this issue.

In fact, the Census Bureau recently released a report called “Multidimensional Deprivation in the United States: 2017” that compares the difference between the official poverty measures and a new index that supplements it.

In the past, we have also highlighted the ALICE report and its way of measuring how many residents struggle in a region.

MIT has a Living Wage Calculator as well and you can read about it here.

Numerous other financial institutions or sites will also offer their version of a living wage calculator or estimate.

But none of these are perfect estimates, and they all make assumptions about legitimate “needs” verses frivolous “wants.”

This isn’t to say that a brilliant mind out there would not be able to design the perfect formula – and we will continue to pay attention to any such endeavors. But until then, why don’t you share with us what you think is a fair wage for Long Island?

Or if you know of someone doing meaningful studies on this and would like us to pay attention to them – let us know or send an email to our data journalist Kai Teoh.