SEATTLE — Some people have a little more financial padding or resources to help them through the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but others don't have that kind of financial safety net.
One neighborhood struggling through the crisis is in King County near Sea-Tac Airport.
According to IRS data, people living in the zip code 98188, which covers parts of SeaTac and Tukwila, have the lowest income reported on tax returns in the Seattle area. Some residents are living there who are now out of work due to the pandemic.
Ninus and Kathy Hopkins are Access bus drivers who had to stop working because they are in the over 60 age group that is at-risk for COVID-19. They've had to make big cuts in basic necessities like food.
"I'm not working, so I have to stretch a meal. Be simple, things are tight. You can do a lot with potatoes and noodles and rice if you can find them now,” said Kathy and Ninus Hopkins.
The latest IRS data from 2016 showed the average taxpayer in the 98188 zip code reported $44,000 in yearly income. That amount was about half of the median household income in the Seattle area during the same time period.