The United Way's ALICE (Assets Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) initiative is critical in understanding the financial challenges faced by a significant segment of the population that, despite being employed, struggles to meet basic needs. ALICE households earn above the Federal Poverty Level but below the basic cost of living, making them vulnerable to financial instability. These annual reports provide invaluable data on the number of ALICE households, their demographic characteristics, and the economic pressures they face. This information is crucial for policymakers, community leaders, and service providers to develop targeted strategies and programs to support these households, ensuring they can achieve financial stability and thrive in their communities. The insights from ALICE reports help drive informed decisions and foster collaboration among stakeholders, ultimately working towards a more equitable society.
Not a “Small Problem”
Across the state of Illinois those who are struggling to pay all their bills has increased to 25% of households. A total of 37% when you include those households living under the federal poverty line.
ALICE Wage Tool
The ALICE Household Survival Budget estimates the minimum cost of household necessities (housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology) plus taxes, and a contingency fund (miscellaneous) equal to 10% of the budget. The ALICE Wage Tool identifies the counties where a certain hourly wage can support the Household Survival Budget for a selected household type.
2025 State of Illinois Update
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2025 Tazewell Co. Data Sheet
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ALICE Economic Viability Dashboard: Tazewell County
The ALICE Economic Viability Dashboard includes four map views — Work, Housing, Community, and Gap Map — and related variables for each view.
The data source is the U.S. Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS, 2023). Geographies included in this dataset are U.S., State, and Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs).
The voices of ALICE are all too familiar to many individuals across the country. The national ALICE team is looking for short sound bites about how being ALICE has impacted your life past or present. Please consider lending your story to this cause.
ALICE In Focus: our youth
The ALICE Children Data Dashboard puts the data about children and hardship at your fingertips.
Tool 1 - Hardship by Category: Explore the data on children in financial hardship by a single category, such as age, race/ethnicity, nativity and language, disability status, living arrangements, and other parameters.
Tool 2 - Intersectional Hardship: Combine intersecting categories that affect hardship (such as children who live in renter households, are Hispanic, and have a disability).
ALICE In Focus: Disability
The ALICE Disability Data Dashboard puts the data about people with disabilities who are experiencing financial hardship at your fingertips.
ALICE In Focus: Veterans
The ALICE Veterans Data Dashboard puts the data about veterans who are experiencing financial hardship at your fingertips.
