02-03-2025
Study reveals one in three NC households struggled to afford basics
CARY — There were 1.8 million NC households unable to afford the state's $78,576 average cost of living in 2022, according to the ALICE Report released earlier this week.
A Study of Financial Hardship places a spotlight on what United For ALICE calls the ALICE population — households earning more than the official Federal Poverty Level, but less than the cost of basics such as housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care, technology and taxes.
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — a large population of hardworking residents who work at low-paying jobs, have little or no savings and are one emergency away from falling into poverty.
The Report is the most comprehensive depiction of financial need in the state to date, using the latest data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census. The Report unveils new measures, based on 2022 income levels and expenses, that quantify how many NC households are struggling financially, and why.
In 2022, a total of 1.3 million NC households fell into the ALICE population. This number was more than double the official poverty rate, which accounted for another 550,000 households in the state. Combined, ALICE households and households in poverty made up the population below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival and accounted for 43%% of all households in North Carolina.
'ALICE is the recent college graduate unable to afford to live on their own, the young family strapped by childcare costs and the underemployed mid-career professional,' said United Way of North Carolina CEO Brittany Pruitt Fletcher.
Households below the ALICE Threshold span all races, ages and genders, yet for certain groups, the struggle is disproportionate. For example, 58% of Black and 54% of Hispanic households in North Carolina were below the ALICE Threshold in 2022, compared to 38% of white households.
Because wages had stagnated for a decade, 36% of the state's 114,630 retail sales workers — one of the most common occupations — lived below the ALICE Threshold in 2022.
One third of North Carolina's 100 counties had 40% of households unable to make ends meet in 2022. The average income needed to survive in North Carolina depends on local conditions and ranged from $28,000 to $78,500 annually for a family of four, more than double the official U.S. poverty level.
ALICE families have been facing higher levels of inflation for more than a decade.
The ALICE Report for North Carolina was funded in part by Carolinas Credit Union Foundation.
For more information or to find data about ALICE in local communities, visit
