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By rdnewsNOW Staff

LIVING WAGE: $18.90

Living Wage Network reports increased cost of living for Red Deer in 2024

Nov 25, 2024 | 4:19 PM

The Alberta Living Wage Network has released its 2024 report, with Red Deer’s living wage coming in at $18.90, up $0.15 from last year.

Of about 21 designated areas or municipalities in the report, this put Red Deer as the fifth most affordable place to live.

Lethbridge’s living wage, a comparable municipality to Red Deer, was calculated to be $20.00, down from $20.60 in 2023.

In response to the report, the Central Alberta Poverty Reduction Alliance (CAPRA) pointed to rising rental costs and a high demand for housing as drivers of the increase. CAPRA officials add that in their view, childcare, electricity, and clothing costs have stabilized or decreased, but housing demand effects have outweighed those positive impacts.

This living wage rate was calculated prior to Red Deer city council approving the 2025 budget, which includes a 10.5 per cent property tax increase as well as increased utility fees for electricity, water, and waste.

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Living wage reflects what someone would need to earn per hour to live comfortably in a community. The Living Wage Network calculates this beyond just basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing to consider unexpected costs, investments in education and childcare, and participating in the community.

Officials from the network say these calculations are based on community-specific data to determine expenses, taxes and benefits, and the resulting living wage of each community.