Latest news with #UnitedForALICE
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Frederick County saw small increase in number of financially struggling households in 2023
The number of households struggling to afford basic necessities in Frederick County slightly increased from 2022 to 2023 by more than 2,400 homes, or by one percentage point, according to new data released by United For ALICE. Among those that were the most likely to struggle getting these necessities were households under 25 years old, Black and Hispanic households and households headed by single mothers. In 2023, the percentage of Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) households in Frederick County was 33%, up from 32% in 2022. ALICE households earn above the federal poverty level but struggle to afford basic necessities and expenses like housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology. United For ALICE releases statewide reports on ALICE communities. The most recently released data showed information on ALICE households for 2023. The total number of households in Frederick County increased from 104,912 in 2022 to 107,332 in 2023. During that same time period, the county's median household income dropped from $119,122 in 2022 to $114,360 in 2023, a decrease of nearly four percentage points. Out of 35,557 households under the ALICE threshold in 2023, 6% of them were also living below the federal poverty level, the same percentage in 2022. Total households in Frederick County, 2021 to 2023 Ken Oldham, the president and CEO of the United Way of Frederick County, did not respond to requests for comment on the data Friday. The data on Frederick County specifically is part of a larger data release from United For ALICE on ALICE households in Maryland. The United Way of Frederick County will release a full localized ALICE report on Sept. 9 at United Way's Leadership Breakfast. Across the entire state's 2.4 million households, 39% — or 934,715 households — were below the ALICE threshold. Out of that number, 10%, or 236,153 households, were living below the federal poverty line. Certain demographic groups were more likely to experience financial hardship, according to the statewide report. Those groups were Black and Hispanic households; households headed by people under 25 or people 65 and older; and households headed by single parents. Single mothers were much more likely to experience financial hardship compared to single fathers. In Frederick County, the households that were more likely to be under the ALICE threshold were similar to the ones mentioned in the statewide report. County-level data can be accessed on United For ALICE's 'Mapping Financial Hardship' tool. The map can be filtered to show ALICE households by age group, race, family type and ZIP code. Although the number of households headed by people under 25 is the smallest compared to other age groups, the majority of those households — about 85% — were under the ALICE threshold in 2023. Households headed by people age 65 or older were the second most likely among age groups to be ALICE, at about 43% in 2023. ALICE Households in 2023 in Frederick County by age group Percentage of ALICE households in 2023 by age group Hispanic households were the most likely in the county to be ALICE, followed by Black households. In 2023, about 45% of Hispanic households and about 42% of Black households were under the ALICE threshold. About 30% of white households were ALICE as well. However, the total number of white households — just over 75,000 — outnumber 8,861 Hispanic households and 9,963 Black households. ALICE Households in 2023 in Frederick County by race Percentage of ALICE households in 2023 by race Out of four different family types, single mothers were the most likely to be ALICE, with about 76% of those households falling under the ALICE threshold in 2023. About 47% of households headed by single fathers; about 33% of those headed by single or cohabitating people under 65; and about 13% of married households with children were ALICE in 2023. ZIP code areas in Frederick County with higher numbers of ALICE households were in the northern parts of the county. Out of 701 households with the ZIP code 21780 in the Sabillasville area, 59% of them were ALICE. Out of 1,694 households with the ZIP code 21727 in the Emmitsburg area, 46% were ALICE. At least 37% of households in multiple ZIP codes in and around the city of Frederick — 21702, 21703 and 21701 — were ALICE, as well. United For ALICE's reports include a metric called the ALICE household survival budget, which reflects the minimum costs of household necessities in Maryland plus taxes, adjusted for different counties and household types. The federal poverty level value for a single adult was $14,580 in 2023 and $30,000 for a family of four. In comparison, the ALICE survival budget for a single adult in Frederick County is $49,380, which is more than three times the federal poverty level, and $104,268 for a family of four that doesn't use child care. For a family of four that does use child care, that survival budget increases to $111,588 — nearly four times the federal poverty level for a family of that size.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
38% households in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester County struggle to make ends meet, study says
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Nearly 40% of households in the tri-county are struggling to cover the cost of basic needs, according to a new report from Trident United Way and its research partner United For ALICE. These households in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties were considered to be living in poverty or are ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE households do not make enough to afford basic expenses in the county where they live, but earn more above the Federal Poverty Level. Data from Trident United Way and United For ALICE reveals that in 2023, 38% of households, 130,360 families, could not afford basic needs. 11% were living in poverty, and 27% were ALICE. The study states that thousands of households, particularly those led by single parents, are living paycheck to paycheck with incomes that fall short of covering the costs of food, transportation, healthcare, technology, and housing. According to their research, a family of four with an infant and preschooler needs $89,904 annually to meet the cost of living in the area. 'This means entire families and essential workers may be overlooked for support, left without the resources they need to stay healthy, achieve financial stability and reach their fullest potential. That's a loss not just for ALICE households, but our entire community,' said D.J. Hampton, Trident United Way President and CEO. The State of ALICE in South Carolina report also states that in 2023: South Carolina ranked 34th in financial hardship among all 50 states and D.C. Younger and older households faced the highest rates of financial strain, with 69% of the youngest and 51% of the oldest households living below the ALICE Threshold, compared to 37% of households led by someone aged 25-44. Housing costs remain a major burden: 66% of renters and 43% of homeowners living below the ALICE Threshold were housing cost-burdened, meaning they spent 30% or more of their income on housing. 'By providing a name and a way to quantify these households, we're equipping communities with the data to build solutions that offer better choices and real pathways to stability,' said Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D., National Director at United For ALICE. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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
