Working hard but struggling to get by. That's ALICE.
We all know people who are ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — earning more than the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford the basics where they live.
ALICE households and households in poverty are forced to make tough choices, such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent — choices that have long-term consequences not only for their families, but for all. When funds run short, cash-strapped households are forced to make impossible choices. Deciding between quality child care or paying the rent. Filling a prescription or fixing the car. These short-term decisions have long-term consequences not only for ALICE families, but for all of us.
Help ALICE families build a better future.
Nearly half of the households (44%) in our community struggle to afford the basic necessities of housing, child care, food, technology, health care, and transportation.
Terminology:
ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) but cannot afford the basic cost of living in their county. Despite struggling to make ends meet, ALICE households often do not qualify for public assistance.
ALICE Household Survival Budget: Reflects the minimum costs of household necessities in Michigan (housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology) plus taxes, adjusted for different counties and household types.
ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival: Derived from the Household Survival Budget, the minimum average income that a household needs to afford basic costs, calculated for all U.S. counties.
Below ALICE Threshold: Includes households in poverty and ALICE households combined.
ALICE Essentials Index: A measure of the average change over time in the costs of essential goods and services.
County Level Data:
2023 Point In Time Data:
Population: 176,564 | Number of Households: 70,042
Median Household Income: $61,189 (State Average: $69,183)
Labor Force Participation: 60% (State Average: 62%)
ALICE Households: 29% (State Average: 27%) | Households in Poverty: 15% (State Average: 14%)
2023 Point In Time Data:
Population: 50,414 | Number of Households: 19,428
Median Household Income: $61.931 (State Average: $69,183)
Labor Force Participation: 56% (State Average: 62%)
ALICE Households: 29% (State Average: 27%) | Households in Poverty: 13% (State Average: 14%)
2023 Point In Time Data:
Population: 26,788 | Number of Households: 10,247
Median Household Income: $63,624 (State Average: $69,183)
Labor Force Participation: 56% (State Average: 62%)
ALICE Households: 31% (State Average: 27%) | Households in Poverty: 12% (State Average: 14%)
