ALICE

In Westchester and Putnam counties, 4-out-of-10 households are living paycheck-to-paycheck or in poverty. They are considered the ALICE population.

ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed – households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county (the ALICE Threshold). Combined, the number of ALICE and poverty-level households equals the total population struggling to afford basic needs. The number of households below the ALICE Threshold changes over time; households move in and out of poverty and ALICE status as their circumstances improve or worsen. The recovery, which started in 2010, has been uneven across New York State. Conditions have improved for some families, but with rising costs, many still find themselves struggling.

PDF of 2024 ALICE Report for Westchester County

PDF of 2024 ALICE Report for Putnam County