ALICE: Eaton County sees 14% rise in households below the ALICE Threshold

Man stands in the rain with a yellow umbrella. Text reads: ALICE in the Crosscurrents: Covid and Financial Hardship in Michigan: Eaton County.

EATON COUNTY – The United Way network and research partner United for ALICE released its latest report in April, giving us our first look at ALICE data since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county (the ALICE Threshold). Households below the ALICE Threshold — ALICE households plus those in poverty — can’t afford the essentials.

Pre-pandemic, there were 12,694 households in Eaton County below the ALICE Threshold. Just two years later in 2021, that number jumped 14 percent to 14,498.

Eaton County and ALICE By the Numbers in 2021

  • Population: 108,944
  • Households: 45,137 (2% change from 2019)
  • Median Household Income: $70,133 (state average: $63,498)
  • Labor Force Participation Rate: 62.1% (state average: 60.9%)
  • ALICE Households: 23% (state average 26%)
  • Households in Poverty: 9% (state average 13%)

To view more Eaton County data, visit the Michigan County Reports page at https://www.unitedforalice.org/county-reports/michigan and choose Calhoun in the dropdown menu.

Read the full Michigan report at https://www.unitedforalice.org/state-overview/michigan.

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