Research Center • Special Topics
United For ALICE’s Special Topics Reports, Fact Sheets, and Tools present new data on specific aspects of what ALICE households experience every day. What are the consequences when families constantly face impossible choices like whether to pay for medications or put food on the table? How are Black households particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic? How much do wages and cost of living vary in different areas of the country? These resources offer data to help communities recognize ALICE households, understand their biggest challenges, and create positive change for ALICE.
While the Federal Poverty Level is the basis for many public programs, looking at poverty alone excludes the 35 million households in the U.S. who are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), earning above the poverty level but below the basic cost of living in their communities.
While cost of living varies considerably by geography, a family's ability to afford household expenses also depends on how much they have an opportunity to earn. The ALICE Wage Tool provides insight into how different wage levels impact an ALICE household's ability to afford a bare-bones survival budget.