Photo Courtesy of United for ALICE
A recent Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed, or ALICE, report shows 34% of Iowans don’t make enough money to afford food, housing, and transportation. The ALICE report uses data from 2024 based on the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which showed 11% of Iowa households were defined as being in poverty. However, the report differentiates itself from the FPL by accounting for an additional 23% of Iowa households that earn above the FPL, but were also in financial hardship to the point of not being able to afford basic expenses in the county they live in. The households in the 23% are therefore known as ALICE households.
Other key findings in the report show that the number of ALICE households declined between 2022 and 2024. The number in poverty remained flat. The ALICE Household Survival Budget revealed a large gap between the FPL and ALICE Household Survival Budget numbers. The ALICE Household Survival Budget in Iowa was found to be $27,732 for a single adult, and $74,616 for a family of four. These numbers were much higher than the FPL’s $15,060 for an individual, and $31,200 for a family of four. In Washington County, ALICE households have declined since 2023, with those living below the poverty line holding steady at 8%.
In Henry County, ALICE households sit at 27%, which is above the state average of 23%. The Mount Pleasant Fellowship Cup is a local resource that provides food, clothing, and shelter to the underserved residents of Henry County. Executive Director Ken Brown acknowledges the crisis, and says the situation in Henry County reflects what the data shows, “We poll people even using SNAP benefits, and only less than 25% of the food pantry users receive SNAP benefits. So that tells you something, that it’s a lot of folks who don’t get the help that need to come to the pantry. And so these are working class households. They need help. They need that extra help to get by.”
To view the full Iowa ALICE Report, visit the link in this news story at KCIIRadio.com.