Exploring the Impact of Wage Levels and Occupations on ALICE

In 2022, 42% of U.S. households were struggling to make ends meet. This includes households with income below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and households who are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). With income above the FPL, ALICE households earn too much to qualify as “poor” but are still unable to cover basic household expenses.

While cost of living varies considerably from one state, region, and county to another, a household’s ability to afford basic expenses also depends on how much they have an opportunity to earn. This tool provides insight into how different wage levels impact an ALICE household’s ability to afford a bare-bones budget.

The ALICE Household Survival Budget estimates the minimum cost of household necessities (housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology) plus taxes, and a contingency fund (miscellaneous) equal to 10% of the budget. The ALICE Wage Tool identifies the counties where a certain hourly wage can support the Household Survival Budget for a selected household type. For example, when selecting a wage of $9 per hour and a family of three (two workers, one child), the map shows that with two adults working full-time, year-round, $9 per hour cannot support basic household costs in any county in the U.S. At $14 per hour, two adults working full time, year-round can afford the Household Survival Budget in 53% of U.S. counties.

 

Use the drop-down menu to select a state ("all" includes all U.S. counties), the slider or arrows to select an hourly wage, and the drop-down menu to select a household type.

Hover over the map to see the wage needed to support the Household Survival Budget for the selected household type. The map is also colored to show in which counties the selected wage can (light color) and can't (dark color) support the basic budget.

Below the map is the percentage of counties in which the selected wage is enough/not enough to cover the Household Survival Budget for the selected household type.

Click the gray bar at the bottom of the map to see the County List, which shows if the selected wage covers the Household Survival Budget (Yes/No) for each county in the selected geography. To return to the map view, click "Back to Overview."