United for 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 workers were celebrated as essential heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet they do not earn enough to support their own families.

ALICE households 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.

Who is ALICE?

Despite the critical nature of many jobs to keep our local economies running – educating our youngest children, keeping our ailing parent safe – these workers often struggle to keep their own households from financial ruin.

ALICE is your child care worker, the cashier at your grocery store, the gas attendant, the salesperson at your big box store, your waitress, a home health aide, an office clerk. ALICE cannot always pay the bills, has little or nothing in savings, and is forced to make tough choices all of the time. One unexpected car repair or medical bill can push these financially strapped families over the edge.

ALICE in Virginia 

In 2021, 38% of Virginia’s 3,300,111 households still struggled to make ends meet. And while 10% of these households were living below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), another 28% — almost three times as many — were ALICE households. These households earned above the FPL, but not enough to afford basic household necessities. 

ALICE IN SAW

We see ALICE every day in our  community. On average, 33% of our neighbors are in an ALICE household. This equates to 16,640 households who are ALICE in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County combined.

The links below will provide a breakdown of data about the ALICE population specific to Staunton, Augusta County & Waynesboro. 

The Report PDF (not available in SAW Combined) will provide information on how many households are considered ALICE and how many are under the Federal Poverty Line. This report goes into detail on ALICE households over time, the different types of households that are ALICE and a summary of the Survival Budget for various household situations.

The Demographics PDF will provide information on ALICE households with children and differences in ALICE broken down by age and race/ethnicity. 

The Household Budgets PDF will provide a breakdown of household budgets for ALICE households and households below the Federal Poverty Line. It also provides a line item expense budget for different types of household situations for both a Survival Budget and a Stability Budget.