Who is ALICE in Louisiana?

ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.  ALICE is our friend, family member, or neighbor who works hard, yet struggles to afford the basic costs of living in Louisiana. 

ALICE earns more than the Federal Poverty Level but is unable to earn enough to meet the Louisiana average ALICE Household Survival Budget. 

In 2022, financial hardship in Louisiana continued to be shaped by the conflicting economic forces of the pandemic, and remained substantially undercounted by official measures. These powerful crosscurrents — COVID-19, inflation, wage growth, and the expansion and expiration of pandemic public assistance — impacted how many Louisiana households were below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival. 

Between 2021 and 2022, the number of households in poverty in Louisiana decreased by 913 (remaining at 19% of all households). At the same time, the number of ALICE households increased by 4,960 (remaining at 32% of all households), continuing a more than decade-long trend in the growth of this population. In 2022, of the 1,799,695 households in Louisiana, 906,515 — 50%* — were below the ALICE Threshold.

With the latest data from the American Community Survey (2022), the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (2023), and the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Household Economics and Decision making (SHED) (2022), this Update highlights the conflicting forces that continue to present opportunities for, and barriers to, financial stability in Louisiana.

*In Louisiana in 2022, out of 1,799,695 households, there were 339,003 (18.8%) in poverty plus 567,512 (31.5%) that were ALICE, totaling 906,515 (50.3%) below the ALICE Threshold, which is rounded to 50% in this Update.

The ALICE Report for Louisiana:
ALICE in the Crosscurrents

To view: ALICE in the Crosscurrents / Louisiana.

2024 ALICE Parish snapshot to download

National ALICE Information

Explore ALICE in other areas by visiting: www.unitedforalice.org