The ALICE in Focus research series builds on data collected by UnitedForALICE by taking a closer look at specific populations experiencing financial hardship, exploring the unique challenges faced by children, people with disabilities, and military veterans.
Using detailed demographic data and interactive dashboards, the series examines how factors like race, ethnicity, disability status, living arrangements, and employment influence financial hardship. This deeper level of analysis helps communities better understand who is struggling, why they are struggling, and where resources and policy solutions can have the greatest impact.
By highlighting the experiences of specific populations, ALICE in Focus equips community leaders, nonprofits, policymakers, and advocates with the data needed to create more targeted, equitable, and effective solutions for financial stability.
Children
Half of all children in the United States live in households that cannot consistently afford the basics.
While many children are officially counted as living in poverty, an even larger share live in ALICE households — families who earn above the Federal Poverty Level but still struggle to cover necessities like housing, childcare, food, healthcare, transportation, and technology.
Financial hardship during childhood can have lasting effects on educational success, health, and future economic mobility.
People with Disabilities
More than half of Americans with disabilities live below the ALICE Threshold, making them one of the populations most likely to experience financial hardship.
The report finds that barriers to education, employment, housing, healthcare, and transportation, combined with the additional costs often associated with living with a disability, make it significantly more difficult to achieve financial stability. These challenges persist even for many individuals who are employed.
Veterans
Although veterans, on average, experience lower rates of poverty than the general population, more than one in four veterans still struggle to afford basic household expenses.
Many face financial challenges during the transition to civilian life, while others encounter barriers related to disability, employment, housing, or healthcare. UnitedForALICE emphasizes that military service alone does not guarantee long-term financial security and highlights the importance of targeted support for veterans and their families.
This information is provided courtesy of UnitedForALICE.