VIEWPOINT (cont.)

Another way to look at it is the stimulus money sent out to help families weather the COVID-19 storm.

That $1,400 you got actually had the purchasing power of $1,628, while up in Illinois, that $1,400 only had $1,276 in comparative value.

Add in the new child tax credit for a couple of kids — that’s $500 for two children, and a family of four Arkansans has $4,046 in spending power compared to $3,332 for the same size family living in Chicago.

What does all this mean?

It means that while we do live in a relatively economically- depressed area, we can at least know that what money we are working with will go farther toward helping us make ends meet. Prices, the cost of services, the value of wages and spending ability all factor into making your money worth more. It should also serve as an incentive to draw people to the state.

omeone earning $100,000 a year in Colorado coming to Arkansas for the same salary would have $119,000 in comparative value. That goes a long way toward buying a house, paying for college or supporting a family.