Negotiating pay when I have been out of work after 13 years as a line cook

I do not know whether to give a range or ask for theirs. There are 13 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. I looked up ranges in Jacksonville and they vary a lot. How do you research fairly?

Benefits matter too. A slightly lower rate with better coverage was better for me.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.