Who is Alice?
Asset Limited Income Constrained, Employed.
What is ALICE?
ALICE is an acronym that stands for: Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. ALICE households earn above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but still do not earn enough to afford the basic cost of living in the communities where they live.
In 2024, 12% of Florida households were living in poverty. An additional 34% were considered ALICE — working households struggling to make ends meet despite earning above the poverty line.
That means nearly half of all Florida households — 47% — were below the ALICE Threshold in 2024.
The ALICE Threshold provides a more realistic picture of financial hardship because it reflects the true local cost of living. In 2024, the ALICE Household Survival Budget for a family of four in Florida was $91,332 annually, compared to the Federal Poverty Level of $31,200.
ALICE households are found in every community and include many essential workers who help keep our communities running every day.
What it Costs to Live in Our Communities
Family of four with two children in childcare
Florida Avg.
$91,332
Lake County
$103,000
Sumter County
$94,000
Who is ALICE?
These aren’t just numbers. They’re our neighbors.
%
of Lake County residents are living at or below the ALICE threshold
%
of Sumter County residents are living at or below the ALICE threshold.
%
of Florida households are living at or below the ALICE threshold.
There are 9.1 million households in Florida.
4.27 million of those have an income below the ALICE threshold.
When Working Isn’t Enough
For 4.27 million (47%) Florida households, basics were out of reach in 2024.
In addition to the 1.12 million households in poverty, another 3.14 million were ALICE – Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed – earning above the poverty level but still living paycheck to paycheck.
A family of four with two adults working full time in two of Florida’s most common jobs couldn’t afford the basics for survival.
(click the chart image above to enlarge)
ALICE IN THE LaborForce
In 2024, 56% of full-time workers did not earn enough to afford the ALICE Household Survival Budget for one adult and one school-age child.
- 56%
Of the top 20 occupations in Florida, 50% of them pay less than $20/hour.
- 50%
In 99% of Florida counties a wage of $20/hour is not enough to support the ALICE Household Survival Budget for one adult and one school-age child.
- 99%
You can make a Difference. Give Today.
At United Way of Lake & Sumter we partner with families and work together to help them reach that stability, but we can’t do it alone.
Give today and help United Way of Lake & Sumter create a community that will give every family an opportunity to reach their full potential.