March 20, 2026
Mark Bumgarner - Catawba County United Way Executive Director
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained Employed. ALICE represents those who work and are above the federal poverty level ($15,960 for an individual, $30,000 for a family of four) but don’t make a livable wage and make too much to qualify for benefits.
The ALICE measures were developed by United For ALICE to answer the pressing need for a more accurate picture of financial hardship.
For example, income below $81,000 in Catawba County for a family of four or $28,900 for an individual is not a livable wage, this is far below government estimates. They are outpaced by the cost of living compared to their wages.
In Catawba County, the percentage of our population who fall into this category range from 37% to 60%, depending on township. This is over 28,000 households and is the population who is precariously close to homelessness. Among this group, we see many working families with children in school being forced to live in cars or with friends/family to survive.
Challenges ALICE Faces
This population is most impacted by increased food and fuel costs. This is the population who has no resources for medical care. This is the population who is one car repair away from being unemployed and unhoused. And when we talk about this population, we often don’t realize this is our family, our friends or even ourselves.
Who Helps ALICE
Often, ALICE can only find support from nonprofits in Catawba County, and if these agencies are destabilized, in turn our entire community is destabilized. We must create a community where all have the opportunity and means to thrive. We must also understand this is a heavy lift for nonprofits and is unsustainable without support from the community.
It is important we educate our legislators to the needs of our community and the expectation that all of us have the right to thrive and insist decisions made and legislation passed support all in our community.
I implore you to get to know the United Way’s ALICE project.
Visit the Catawba County United Way online to learn more - https://www.ccunitedway.com/united-way-alice-asset-limited-income-constrained-employed-data
Everyone also has an open invitation to call us (828-327-6851) or stop by our office to learn more – 2760 Tate Boulevard in Hickory.
We all thrive when we live UNITED.
For household income, ALICE measures rely on the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) — both household tabulated data and individual data from the Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) records.
