ALICE Simulation
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households are our neighbors who work hard and earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford the basics where they live.
Hardship hiding in plain sight
Step into the shoes of hardworking North Carolinians and make the impossible choices they face every month. Every dollar amount in this simulation comes from the 2024 ALICE Household Survival Budget for North Carolina.
41% of North Carolina households (1,816,053) were below the ALICE Threshold in 2024: 28% ALICE plus 13% in poverty.
Two adults, an infant and a preschooler — more than 2.5 times the $31,200 Federal Poverty Level.
Didn't earn enough to afford the Survival Budget for one adult and one school-age child. NC's minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009.
North Carolina's 4,452,562 households
Costs outpace wages
Federal Poverty Level
$31,200 for a family of four. The same everywhere in the contiguous U.S., and its method hasn't been updated since the 1960s.
Household Survival Budget
The bare minimum to cover housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, technology and taxes. No savings, no eating out, no birthday presents.
The ALICE Threshold
A family of four needs $39.80 an hour in full-time earnings to reach it. A single adult needs $15.87 an hour.
Choose a household
Households and names are illustrative. Costs are 2024 ALICE Household Survival Budgets for the place you choose; wages are statewide figures from the ALICE Report.
North Carolina statewide, 2024.
2. Choose a household
Who is ALICE in North Carolina?
ALICE households live in every county and include every demographic group. They are the cooks, cashiers, laborers and caregivers who keep our economy running.
Common jobs, uncommon hardship
Share of workers in households below the ALICE Threshold, 2024
Median hourly wage: cashiers $12.20, cooks $14.15. A single adult needs $15.87 an hour to meet the Survival Budget.
Some households face higher hardship
Share of households below the ALICE Threshold, 2024
Households headed by someone 65+ were the fastest-growing age group in NC, up 58% from 2010 to 2024.
Hardship ranged from 60% of households in Anson County to 30% in Camden County. Even within one county it varies: in Wake County, 49% of households in ZIP 27610 (Southeast Raleigh) were below the Threshold, compared with 13% in ZIP 27562 (New Hill/Bonsal).
No cushion for emergencies
In the South Atlantic region, only 35% of people below the ALICE Threshold had emergency savings to cover three months of expenses, compared with 71% above it. Only 40% had retirement assets, versus 88%.
Housing takes a bigger bite
70% of renter households below the Threshold paid 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2024, and 42% paid half or more. 48% of homeowners below the Threshold were cost burdened.
United, we can change the math
When every household can afford the basics, families are healthier, kids do better in school and local economies grow stronger. Here is how you can help.
Community members
- Share this simulation and what you learned
- Give, volunteer or advocate with your local United Way
- Share your own story with ALICE Voices
Employers
- Adopt practices that support the well-being and retention of ALICE workers
- Share information about the Earned Income Tax Credit with employees
- Advocate for affordable housing and quality child care
Policymakers & partners
- Explore ALICE data by legislative district and ZIP code
- Use ALICE data to target funding, programs and services
- Study how benefits cliffs affect ALICE families
Need help with rent, food, utilities or child care?
Dial 2-1-1 or visit nc211.org to connect with free, confidential local resources, 24/7.