In Houston, home to many of the nation's top oil and gas concerns, the cost of living is 5.9 percent above the national average, and minimum wage sits at $7.25.
The home to 24 Fortune 500 companies,
according to Forbes magazine, the Houston and the state of Texas pay the federal minimum hourly wage, a figure state Democrats say is too low and keeps many new residents stuck poverty.
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By contrast, according to data
compiled by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an adult living in the Houston area would need to earn $10.51 hourly to support him or herself. With one child, that figure goes to $21.46 hourly while with two children, a living wage would be $24.88 per hour.
Minimum wage is the lowest pay or compensation employees can receive by law for their work. Living wage calculates what funds are needed for someone's everyday needs, based on a number of factors including marriage, children, debt, cost-of-living, and other expenses.
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Lawmakers in the Texas House killed a proposal for a statewide referendum in May 2015 that would have offered voters there the chance to decide if they wanted to raise the
minimum wage rate, the Dallas Morning News reported. It added that about 400,000 residents statewide earned minimum wage or less in 2013.
Housing costs in Houston remain low, by some estimates as much as 22 percent below the national average. Forbes said the median home price for the city was $180,200. The magazine also ranked Houston as No. 4 in the nation for job growth.
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