You fail to take into consider the cost of living per country.

A full time job at $7.50 hour brings $15,600 before taxes. With one dependent, a full time minimum wage earner brings home $ 14,101.60, or $1,175 per month, excluding insurance.

Any hospital visit requires co-pays. Her subsidized root canal would still require 25% of a ft monthly salary. She likely has some form of medicaid copay or insurance cost deducted from her check.

In Detroit, 1% of apartment rentals are $500 or below. 22% average between $500-$700. The average 1 bedroom rental is $1400.

The average electric bill in the US for a 1 bedroom apartment is $60. In Detroit, the average monthly utility bill (water, electricity, heat) for a one bedroom apartment is $160.

Most municipal water supplies are barely potable. Many people spend $20-$40 for clean drinking water.

A monthly bus ticket in Detroit is currently $60.

Internet/cell phone: $57.

$500 rent (if you live in a slum)
$160 utilities
$60 bus fare
$57 phone and internet
= $777

One is left with $400 to cover food for a parent and child, cleaning supplies, clothing, laundry, insurance copays, fresh water, child care, school supplies, repairs, etc.

If the renter cannot find the slums and has to pay $700 a month, they are left with $200 for food, insurance, clothing, laundry, etc. The person has no life. No entertainment, no birthday or Christmas for the kids, all clothes from Goodwill, no toys or games unless they come from thrift shops and yard sales. No emergency cash if one loses their job or someone breaks into their place and steals stuff.

The full-time minimum wage earner spends two days a week taking care of all of the stuff that couldn't be done in the week - laundry, cleaning, cooking, doctors appointments, shopping. If they are lucky enough to get a paid vacation, they have no money to go anywhere.

This assumes that one can find affordable housing with access to public transportation and subsidized child care and insurance.

Most jobs in the inner cities don't pay much above minimum wage.