Washington State law requires set need standards for public assistance recipients. These must include reasonable allowances for shelter, fuel, food, transportation, clothing, household maintenance and necessary incidentals. This study divided Washington State into seven pricing areas and collected price data for each area. Statewide cost figures were then prepared using a weighting formula that gives costs in populous regions more weight than those in less populous ones. In April 1984, the basic requirements for a family of four priced in this study cost $862.46 per month, up 21.9 percent from October 1980. The market baskets of goods and services for an elderly individual cost $464.00. The study yielded results that were similar to 1980 cost figures, updated for inflation.
