$25 Minimum Wage? A New Bill Says Yes — Here’s What It Means For You

Jun 28, 2026, 7:00 AM | Updated: 11:03 am

A new bill is pushing to raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour. Yes, you read that right. Twenty. Five. Dollars.

That’s a pretty massive leap from the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour — a number that honestly sounds like it was set when gas cost the same as a gumball.

The Research Says…

According to studies, $25 an hour is roughly what a single working adult without kids needs to actually live. Just live. Nothing fancy. No spa days. No avocado toast. Just bills and groceries.

Which brings up the not-so-fun part — researchers identified 14 states where even $25 an hour won’t cut it.

Spoiler: Colorado’s cost of living isn’t exactly a bargain either, friends.

What This Means For Denver Families

For those of us raising kids — especially those delightful pre-teen humans who apparently need new everything constantly — $25 an hour as a baseline feels like a step in the right direction.

The bill still has a long road ahead before anything changes in your paycheck.

But hey, it’s a conversation worth having.

 

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$25 Minimum Wage? A New Bill Says Yes — Here’s What It Means For You