06/17/2026
Did you know that nearly 4 in 10 households across Mason and Manistee counties struggle to afford basic necessities like housing, child care, food, transportation, and health care?
These households are known as ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
📊 In Mason County, 28% of households fall into the ALICE population.
📊 In Manistee County, that number rises to 31%.
📊 When combined with households living in poverty, 41% of our neighbors are facing financial hardship.
Understanding the challenges facing ALICE households is the first step toward building stronger communities.
Learn more in our latest blog post:
https://www.unitedwayofthewestshore.org/communitynews/nearly-40-of-michigan-households-struggle-to-afford-the-basics-new-alice-report-finds
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more local ALICE data, stories, and insights. By raising awareness, we can better advocate for programs, resources, and solutions that help ALICE households achieve greater financial stability.
A newly released ALICE report paints a clearer picture of the financial challenges facing households across Michigan. While poverty statistics often receive the most attention, the report shows that many Michigan families who are working and earning above the federal poverty level are still struggli
