Orange County Living Wage has once again raised its numbers from 2023, setting this year’s rate at $16.60 an hour for hourly workers and $15.10 for employers who pay at least half of employees’ health insurance costs. Those marks stood at $15.85 and $14.35 last year.

Orange County Living Wage determines these figures by using the Universal Living Wage Formula, which in turn is based on standards from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. OCLW also uses the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in a four-country area including Alamance, Chatham, Durham and Orange Counties.

“Someone earning $7.25 per hour will gross $15,080, if they work 40 hours a week all year. In this time of rising costs, it is completely insufficient,” says OCLW Director Susan Romaine. “A $16.60 hourly wage reflects the minimum wage necessary for workers to live close enough to our county to provide essential services like staffing our hospitals, schools, police and fire departments, grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, nonprofits, and more.”

Currently, OCLW’s roster includes 266 employers who have certified as paying full- and part-time employees — about 9,000 in all — the living wage. In 2022, 48 new employers were recognized for paying a living wage.

Since 2015, OCLW estimates the total amount wages have been raised to be $2.8 million, with more than $950,000 stemming from 2022 wage increases alone.

 

Featured image via Orange County Living Wage

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Orange County Living Wage Set to Suspend Operations, Close Before 2025
The local nonprofit Orange County Living Wage announced it is set to end its operations after nine years after funding sources dried up.
Early Voting in the 2026 General Election: Where to Go in Orange, Durham, and Chatham Counties
Early voting for North Carolina's general election is underway through Saturday, October 31. Here is what you need to know to cast your vote.
Local Government Meetings: October 19-23, 2026
This week in local government: affordable housing proposals on Rogers Road and Old Lystra Road, and a public hearing on Chapel Hill's LUMO.
Local Government Meetings: October 5-9, 2026
This week in local government: Orange County Commissioners discuss data centers and property revaluation, while Carrboro talks composting.
Local Government Meetings: September 28-October 2, 2026
This week in local government: Tongde Wu officially takes her oath of office as the newest member of the CHCCS school board.
Local Government Meetings: September 14-18, 2026
This week in local government: a greenway network in Chapel Hill, and busing concerns and elementary school redistricting for CHCCS.
Orange and Chatham County School Districts Celebrate Performance Milestones for 2025-26 Year
The Orange County, Chatham County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City school districts are celebrating positive performance trends demonstrated in the latest accountability report from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. All 13 Orange County Schools earned a performance grade of “C” or higher for the 2025-26 school year, marking the first time since 2017 that […]
Red Cross Declares Blood Crisis: Here's Where You Can Donate Locally
The American Red Cross is calling for immediate blood donations, declaring a national blood crisis for the second time in history.
Refuel Prepares to Open Renovated Chapel Hill Location; Will Feature New Local Mural
Refuel will celebrate the reopening of a newly renovated gas station, featuring a new mural, in Chapel Hill on Saturday, June 27 at 11 a.m.
The Morning News: Digital Learning at CHCCS, New Chatham Commissioner, College World Series
In today's news: CHCCS approves a new digital learning plan, and Chatham Commissioners appoint Sheriff Mike Roberson to their board.
›