Working – and Still Falling Short: 27% of Warren County are ALICE

VICKSBURG, Miss. by Alyssa Lick (VDN) — In 2023, 35% of workers in Mississippi’s 20 most common jobs lived in households that couldn’t afford basics, according to new data from United Way of West Central Mississippi and its research partner United For ALICE. These workers – the backbone of every community – include cashiers, cooks, janitors and building cleaners, orderlies and psychiatric aides, and personal care aides.

The State of ALICE in Mississippi reveals that traditional measures of poverty have severely undercounted the number of households countywide that are living in financial hardship. While 20% of all households in Warren County lived in poverty in 2023, the new research shows that 27% – 7% more were ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). Combined, 47% of Warren County’s households fell below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in 2023, down from 48% in 2021/2022.

ALICE households bring in less than the basic costs of housing, child care, food, transportation,
health care, and technology, plus taxes. Yet because their income is above the Federal Poverty
Level, they often don’t qualify for assistance.

“When we underestimate how many households are struggling, we underestimate what it truly takes to build thriving communities,” said Michele Connelly, Executive Director, United Way of West Central Mississippi. “This means entire families and essential workers may be overlooked for support, left without the resources they need to stay healthy, achieve financial stability, and reach their fullest potential. That’s a loss not just for ALICE, but for all of us.”

The crux of the struggle for ALICE families is the gap between wages and expenses. In 2023, a family of four in Warren County needed $ 63,384 just to cover the essentials – nearly half the Federal Poverty Level of $30,000. Yet even with both parents working full time in two of the county’s most common jobs – a retail salesperson and a laborer – this family’s combined income still fell short of the cost of basics by $1,796.

The State of ALICE in Mississippi also reveals that in 2023:

• Mississippi ranked 2nd in financial hardship among all 50 states plus the District of
  Columbia, with one of the nation’s highest percentages of households struggling to make
  ends meet. Louisiana was 1st.
• Some groups face financial hardship at disproportionate rates, with 65% of the youngest and 54% of the oldest households in Warren County falling below the ALICE Threshold, compared with 49% of households headed by someone age 25-44.
• Housing continues to be an obstacle for struggling families. Among households below the ALICE Threshold in Mississippi, 26% of households that rented and 41% of those that owned were rent and housing burdened – meaning they paid 30% or more of their income on rent and housing costs.

“ALICE families are especially vulnerable during natural disasters and times of economic uncertainty and yet often feel unseen or left behind,” said Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D., National Director at United For ALICE. “By providing a name and a way to quantify these households, we’re equipping communities with the data to build solutions that offer better choices and real pathways to stability.”

More state and local data is available through the interactive dashboards on UnitedForALICE.org/Mississippi.

Editor’s Note: The author of this story works for United Way of West Central Mississippi and also writes for the Vicksburg Daily News.