alice

40% of Westchester and Putnam households live in poverty or paycheck to paycheck, what the United Way calls “ALICE” (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These are often hardworking families struggling to make ends meet and provide a better life for their children. They are employed, but often don’t make enough to live in this community.

For these families, when funds run short, they are forced to make impossible choices between childcare or paying the rent… filling a prescription or fixing a car. They are waiters/waitresses, security guards, home health aides, bank tellers, retail salespeople, ride share drivers, custodial engineers, and so many others – all workers essential to keeping all our communities and economies humming, yet who struggle to pay their own basic bills.

The United Way’s 2025 ALICE Report (see below) shows that a Westchester family of 4 with 2 children in childcare needs more than $131K just to cover the basics – like rent, utilities, food, clothing, health care, etc. That’s more than 4X the Federal Poverty Level of $32,150 (for a family of four). In Putnam, that same family needs to earn $135K. These are survival expenses mind you – food, rent, utilities, health care, transportation, technology, etc. NOT savings or vacations. NOT Netflix.

In total 28% of Westchester residents are living paycheck-to-paycheck (ALICE), while another 10% are in poverty. That’s an increase of 36% in ALICE since 2010, and 32% in Poverty since 2010.

The primary reason is that the costs of goods and services have far outpaced wage increases. For example, in 2016, a family of four spent $600 a month on food. Today, that same family spends $1,600; That’s a 166% increase in 9 years. Similarly, Housing Costs/Utilities have increased 66% over that same time period.

To learn more about the ALICE data, see below.

The State of ALICE in New York 2025

The State of ALICE in Westchester 2025

The State of ALICE in Putnam 2025