WHO IS ALICE?

Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed

ALICE represents individuals and households who earn just above the Federal Poverty Level but less than what it costs to make ends meet. ALICE workers often struggle to afford basic expenses, while keeping our communities running. 

Reports

The State of ALICE in Wisconsin (2025)

In 2023, according to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), 11% of Wisconsin households were financially insecure. Yet this measure failed to account for an additional 24% of ALICE households that were also experiencing financial hardship.

Between ALICE households and those living in poverty, an estimated 35% of households in Wisconsin were below the ALICE Threshold in 2023. Households below the Threshold are forced to make impossible choices — like deciding whether to pay for utilities or a car repair, whether to buy food or fill a prescription.

Households below the ALICE Threshold are in every state and county across the U.S. and represent all demographic groups. Workers below the ALICE Threshold often perform the jobs that keep our economy functioning smoothly — they are child care providers, food service workers, cashiers, personal care aides, delivery drivers, and more. Their stories capture the systemic and structural barriers to financial stability, and the struggles and resilience of families experiencing financial hardship.

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ALICE Essentials Index (2025)

The ALICE Essentials Index measures changes over time in the costs of the household basics that matter most to ALICE and poverty-level households: housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and basic technology. The traditional measure of inflation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI), tracks a much larger basket of over 200 goods and services — items that financially insecure households can't afford on a regular basis, like wine, major appliances, airline tickets, jewelry, and full-service meals at restaurants. Tracking costs over time using this larger basket of consumer goods and services conceals important changes in the costs of basics and fails to capture the disproportionate impact of inflation on lower-income households.

Costs in Wisconsin increased at a faster rate than they did nationally following the COVID-19 pandemic (7.3% annual increase in the ALICE Essentials Index from 2021 to 2023).

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ALICE Economic Viability Dashboard (2025)

Workers need jobs with livable wages, near housing they can afford, in communities that offer resources and supports. United For ALICE has developed the ALICE Economic Viability Dashboard to enable community planners, housing experts, policymakers, nonprofits, and business leaders to map key ALICE variables, compare geographies, and take action to promote financial stability at state and local levels.

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ALICE in Focus Series

ALICE in Focus: Veterans

On November 11, 2022, United For ALICE released the ALICE in Focus: Veterans report, showing how of the 303,536 total veterans in Wisconsin, 21% struggled to afford basics in 2019, just before the pandemic hit. The new report and interactive tools reveal that federal poverty data undercounts how many veterans in Wisconsin face financial insecurity.

ALICE in Focus: People with Disabilities

ALICE in Focus: Children

On April 4, 2022,  United For ALICE release the ALICE in Focus: Children report, showing 38% of Wisconsin's Children lived in financial hardship pre-pandemic. The new report and interactive tools reveal that federal poverty data undercounts how many children are growing up amid financial insecurity.

Other Resources

What is United For ALICE?

United For ALICE represents a grassroots movement to raise awareness about an essential but previously hidden part of our community. Through a framework of new language and measures, stakeholders can better understand and ultimately implement changes that improve the lives of ALICE. With more than 40% of households in the United States trying to manage their household with an income that falls short of covering their basic necessities, many policies and programs must be reassessed or even reconsidered. Learn more at www.UnitedForALICE.org.