What is ALICE?

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. It describes households that work hard and earn above the Federal Poverty Level, yet still don’t make enough to afford basic necessities like housing, childcare, food, healthcare, and transportation. For a growing number of families across the U.S., this gap between wages and the true cost of living makes financial stability feel perpetually out of reach—even while they’re employed.

ALICE in Mason and Manistee County

Working families are not immune to the impacts of the affordability crisis. In Mason County, 28% of households are identified as ALICE, while 34% of households in Manistee County fall into that category, both above the Michigan average of 27%. When combined with poverty rates of 13% in Mason County and 12% in Manistee County, this means that roughly four in ten households across these two counties are struggling to afford basic necessities like housing, childcare and car repairs.

To learn more about the ALICE population in Mason County, explore the resources below, provided by United for ALICE and United Way of Northern New Jersey.