The latest United for ALICE Report (2023) was released for Lincoln County in 2025. ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE households bring in less income than the costs in our county for housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care and technology, plus taxes. It does not include savings for emergencies or future goals like college or retirement. Yet because their income is above the Federal Poverty Level, these households often don’t qualify for assistance. According to the report, 34% or 3 out of 10 households in Lincoln County were below the ALICE Threshold in 2023.
As circumstances change, households may find themselves below or above the ALICE threshold at different times. For example, a family may be able to meet their expenses and then a child has significant health issues so one of the parents who had been employed is now unable to work. That household is now faced with a reduction in income and making difficult decisions on how to pay for their basic expenses on top of the additional costs for medical care they may be incurring. The crux of the struggle for ALICE families is the gap between wages and expenses to provide the essentials. This can be especially true as economic factors or circumstances change.
This is where Merrill Area United Way and our community partners come together to help. Through collaborative investments in local programs and services we support ALICE individuals and families with the resources they need today while working toward lasting stability and long-term financial security. Every contribution helps move households from the brink toward a more secure future.
ALICE may be a relative or friend. You may be ALICE. As cashiers, waiters, childcare providers, and other members of our essential workforce, ALICE earns above the Federal Poverty Level but less than it costs to make ends meet. These struggling households are forced to make impossible choices every day. We feel strongly that no one should have to choose between necessities like childcare and healthy food, or transportation and housing.
Local ALICE Statistics:
- In 2023, household costs in Lincoln County were well above the Federal Poverty Level of $14,580 for a single adult and $30,000 for a family of four.
- One in three households in Lincoln County (34%) are living below the ALICE threshold in 2023.
- One in four Lincoln County households with children (25%) are living below the ALICE threshold in 2023.
- 1 in 2 individuals who are 65 and over (48%) are living below the ALICE threshold in 2023.
- Of households of white racial/ethnicity, one in three (34%) are living below the ALICE threshold.
More information about ALICE in Lincoln County