The Alice Project

Alice

What is ALICE?

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).

What's the impact? 

Households below the ALICE Threshold — ALICE households plus those in poverty — can’t afford the essentials. As circumstances change, households may find themselves below or above the ALICE Threshold at different times. While the COVID-19 pandemic brought employment shifts, health struggles, and school/business closures in 2021, it also spurred unprecedented public assistance through pandemic relief measures. In 2019, 22,120 households in Cambria County were below the ALICE Threshold; in 2021 this number changed to 25,406, (a 15% change).

What are the local ALICE numbers? 

Cambria County 2021 data

  • Population: 132,167
  • Number of Households: 55,283 (-2% change from 2019)
  • Median Household Income: $52,995 (state average: $68,957)
  • Labor Force Participation Rate: 53.4% (state average: 62.4%)
  • ALICE Households: 33% (state average: 27%)
  • Households in Poverty: 13% (state average: 12%)

THE FULL REPORT

Somerset County 2021 data

  • Population: 73,627
  • Number of Households: 29,115 (-1% change from 2019)
  • Median Household Income: $54,352 (state average: $68,957)
  • Labor Force Participation Rate: 54.7% (state average: 62.4%)
  • ALICE Households: 31% (state average: 27%)
  • Households in Poverty: 12% (state average: 12%)

THE FULL REPORT