KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. — United Way's newest ALICE report reveals that in 2022 nearly 40% of Kalamazoo County residents were struggling to make ends meet.
"ALICE exists everywhere," said Natalie Ohagan, senior director of Strategy and Innovation for United Way. "It could be the person that I'm purchasing my coffee from every single day."
ALICE refers to individuals who are above the poverty threshold but are still living paycheck to paycheck.
While 38% of the county falls under this umbrella, Galesburg and the city of Kalamazoo have the highest rates.
Fifty-six percent of Galesburg residents live below the ALICE threshold and the city of Kalamazoo sits at 53%. "Wages have gone up but they've not gone up enough to account for things like inflation, people's cost of living has increased, and we've not been able to account for that," Ohagan told FOX 17.
Ohagan added that lack of affordable childcare and housing are some of the many reasons why residents are struggling financially.
"The reasons for high rates of ALICE are pretty similar across the board across the state across the U.S. Wages have increased over the years. We've seen that in data, but they're not increasing enough to account for things like inflation," she said.
For tips on budgeting and resources available, visit United Way's website.
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