2024 ALICE Update: Despite bigger paychecks, struggling households in Florida continue to increase
Press release from United Way of North Central Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Though wages for the lowest-paid jobs have risen across the country at the fastest rate in four decades, the number of households struggling to get by in Florida grew by more than 189,614 from 2021 to 2022. As a result, a total of 4,056,220 households or 46% were living paycheck to paycheck, according to a new Update from United Way of North Central Florida and its research partner United for ALICE.
That calculation includes the 1,125,129 Florida households in poverty as well as another 2,931,091 defined as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), earning above the Federal Poverty Level but less than what’s needed to survive in the current economy. ALICE workers include child care providers, home health aides, and cashiers – those working low-wage jobs, with little or no savings and one emergency from poverty.
ALICE in the Crosscurrents: An Update on Financial Hardship in Florida shows that while wages were increasing, so too were costs. For a family of four with an infant and a preschooler, the basic costs to live and work in Florida, excluding tax credits, rose from $80,748 in 2021 to $86,316 a year later. Compounding the issue in 2022 was the loss of up to $15,000 in federal child tax credits and stimulus payments that this family had access to in 2021.
“There is no doubt, bigger paychecks helped, but inflation and the loss of pandemic supports converged to keep ALICE trapped,” said United Way of North Central Florida President and CEO Amber Miller. “This latest data is a reminder that while we have made some progress, our work is far from over.”
The findings in this one-year period are consistent with a more than decade-long trend. Since the end of the Great Recession, despite some ups and downs, the number of ALICE households in Florida has been steadily growing. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of households rose by 25%, households in poverty increased by 8% – and the number of ALICE households grew by 27%.
“The data is showing persistent and widespread financial hardship – a red flag that the current system isn’t working for ALICE,” said Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D., United For ALICE National Director. “Current policy has not been enough to break down the barriers that trap ALICE households in financial hardship, from lack of access to housing and child care that’s affordable, to inadequate community supports such as broadband internet.”
Additional insights include:
- From 2010 to 2022, people aged 65 and over made up the fastest-growing age group in Florida – and the group with the largest increase (45%) in the number of households struggling to make ends meet.
- Racial disparities persisted in the rates of financial hardship; 60% of Black and 52% of Hispanic households in Florida were either in poverty or ALICE in 2022, compared to 41% of white households.
- Food assistance continued to elude many vulnerable families in Florida. Partly due to the SNAP income eligibility level in the state (200% of the Federal Poverty Level), only 36% of all Florida households in poverty and 18% of ALICE households participated in SNAP in 2022.
For households within United Way of North Central Florida’s six-county region, many are faring worse than the state average. A family of four with an infant and a preschooler needed to earn $90,900 in 2022 to meet the ALICE Household Survival Budget in Alachua County, while the same family in Dixie County would’ve had to earn $69,600.
2022 Point-in-Time Data
| County | % Poverty(state average 13%) | % ALICE(state average 33%) | Total % Below ALICE Threshold(state average 46%) |
| Alachua | 20% | 31% | 51% |
| Bradford | 20% | 33% | 53% |
| Dixie | 16% | 48% | 64% |
| Gilchrist | 15% | 36% | 51% |
| Levy | 16% | 35% | 51% |
| Union | 14% | 29% | 43% |
Source: UnitedForALICE.org/Florida
To read the Update and access online, interactive dashboards that provide data on financial hardship at the state, county, and local levels, visit UnitedForALICE.org/Florida.
United Way of North Central Florida is collecting audio testimonials from ALICE individuals about the difficult financial choices they continue to face today given the high cost of essentials and ongoing inflation. Stories can be recorded at: ALICEvoices.org
Don’t forget the results of ‘Bidenomics’ when you fill out your ballot this time.
YES, YES, YES, my plan to make Gainesville and Alachua County #1 is working. We were number one in highest electric rates, #2 on highest property taxes (we are working on that), and now we are very high on the list of for families in poverty!!!! As the back-Ward Mayor of Gainesville all I can say is, “I love it when plan comes together!!!” Don’t worry people I will be meeting with my mostest, bestest, friend in the world, Kenny Cornhole to make sure the county follows my plan to make use #1 in poverty.
This is an example of priorities within our community. Perhaps the city and county commissions should pay attention to this need…along with the roads.
Strangely, as govt grew, the poverty rate increased. Is that by design? 🧐🤔
The increase in the minimum wage, which interferes with and puts price pressure on the economy in Florida, compressed wages for those who had been making above minimum wage.
Entry level wages for new, young employees is a thing of the past. I started my work life as a teenager making $1.75/hour, scooping ice cream after school. I learned how to become a valuable employee with those first jobs, gained skills, and moved on to better paying jobs.
The minimum wage was never intended to support families. Minimum wage jobs are very useful, however, for gaining work experience…for getting a start and opening up more opportunities.
The political/regulatory attacks on our energy producers, inflation from government overspending, expensive compliance costs due to over-regulation of so many businesses…all of this tinkering with our economy is exacerbating the very problems that government intervention is claiming to fix.
Our societal fabric is also unravelling…there are so many sad and painful consequences to the breakdown of families.
Not to mention the lack of access to medical care. It is not easy to find a GOOD physician that will accept Medicaid or traditional Medicare. It is virtually impossible to find decent dental care through Medicaid. Doctors and dentists who accept Medicaid are so backed up that appointments are booked up months in advance.