HomePublicationsTool/ResourceInventory of US City and County Minimum Wage Ordinances

Inventory of US City and County Minimum Wage Ordinances

November 13, 2020 -

UC Berkeley Labor Center

Across the country, cities and counties have become laboratories of policy innovation on labor standards. Before 2012, only 5 localities had minimum wage laws; currently, 53 counties and cities do. To help inform policymakers and other stakeholders, the UC Berkeley Labor Center is maintaining an up-to-date inventory of these laws, with details on wage levels, scheduled increases, and other law details, as well as links to the ordinances.

Hayward, CA and San Carlos, CA have delayed their scheduled minimum wage increases from July 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021, citing the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Note that several minimum wage ordinances have been overturned, including Birmingham, AL; Miami Beach, FL; Louisville and Lexington, KY; Johnson, Lee, Linn, Polk, and Wapello Counties in Iowa; St. Louis, MO; and Kansas City, MO.

In December 2019 Tacoma, WA, repealed its minimum wage ordinance because Washington State’s minimum wage surpassed that of Tacoma. Two other cities have minimum wages that have been surpassed by their state’s minimum wage: Bangor, ME and San Diego, CA. Because these ordinances have not been repealed, we are leaving them in this inventory, but are not counting them toward the number of cities and counties with minimum wage ordinances.

The Minimum Wage Inventory includes only minimum wages that were set by local ordinance; it does NOT include localities whose separate minimum wage was set by state law. All information in the inventory is for informational purposes only and is not for the purpose of providing legal advice or documentation. Despite our best efforts, our inventory may not be immediately updated to reflect changes in laws, and may contain inaccuracies. Information on minimum wages should be confirmed with individual localities.