CEDAR RAPIDS — The latest United Way ALICE report has found that more than one-third of Iowa’s households are unable to afford the state’s cost of living.
Released Tuesday, United Way’s ALICE — Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed — report states that 457,044 Iowa households, or 37 percent of the state’s total, are unable to meet basic needs. That marks a considerable increase from 31 percent of households in 2016.
The report goes on to note that the number of Iowa households that cannot afford basic needs increased 27 percent from 2010 to 2016.
Using data from multiple sources, including the U.S. Census, the United Way ALICE report spotlights those who work at low-paying jobs, have little to no savings, and are considered one emergency away from falling into poverty.
Of Iowa’s households that fall below the ALICE threshold, 12 percent live below the Federal Poverty Level and an additional 25 percent — while considered above the poverty threshold — are unable to cover basic expenses like housing, food, transportation and health and child care.
For Linn County, 89,173 total households fell below the ALICE threshold, or 30 percent of the county’s population, in 2016.
In the same year, about 38 percent of Johnson County households, or 57,217 total, fell below the ALICE threshold.
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