KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Nearly 4 in 10 Kansas City-area households are below the ALICE threshold, meaning they are not below the poverty line but still struggle to pay for basic needs, according to data from United Way of Greater Kansas City.
What the ALICE data measures
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The data counts people who are above the poverty line but cannot afford basic costs such as rent, health care, and food.
In the most recent data, 11% of metro households were below the Federal Poverty Level, and another 24% were ALICE, meaning 35% of households could not afford the basics. United Way said 26% of households in Johnson County fall into the ALICE category.
Kera Mashek, senior director of communications for United Way of Greater Kansas City, said the federal poverty level for a family of four is $31,200. The ALICE Survival Budget, the cost of essentials needed to live and work in the current Missouri economy, is $72,228 for that same household. Mashek said the metric helps reveal a more accurate number of people who are struggling to pay their bills…