The major problem with this kind of approach is that the meaning of the term "just get by" these days is largely a function of a person's desired standard of living.
I contend that a wage of $17.50 per hour meets the definition of a "living wage" just about anywhere in the United States, so long as someone is willing to live a lifestyle conducive to that wage. I'm not talking about scraping by in poverty, either. I'm talking about a lifestyle that was very common in the United States back in the days of Storck's dream world -- before the suburban supermarket drove the family-owned neighborhood grocery store out of business.
That means no suburban home on a large piece of land. It means public transit instead of an automobile, or a simple car with no power steering, no air conditioning, no anti-lock brakes, no power windows, etc. Oh, and it means no air conditioning at home, either.
It also means "vacations" at the local swimming pool, or a public beach. It means a home entertainment system comprised of a radio. Well, OK -- maybe a 13-inch black & white television, too.
And most relevant to this topic: It means "health care" that is actually closer to hospice care than anything else -- when a hospital could be staffed largely by religious orders because people received very simple care, and because the largest expense item on its annual budget was the laundry bill for cleaning the bed sheets. When you got sick, you hopefully got better or maybe you died -- and "heroic measures" for saving a patient's life involved prayer and not much else.
Heck, if someone would be willing to live a lifestyle of that sort, then $17.50 per hour would allow them to save a huge bundle of cash every week.