Nearly One-Third of American Families 'One Crisis Away' from Poverty

Nearly 40 million U.S. families, or 29% of households, are categorized as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), a term created by United Way to describe those earning above the poverty line but insufficient to meet basic needs. This statistic highlights the growing financial vulnerability amid sluggish wage growth and rising costs, with these families being just one emergency away from poverty. This is in addition to the 37.9 million Americans, or 11.5% of the population, already living below the poverty line according to the U.S. Census Bureau.