ALICE Reports Reveal Growing Number of Financially Struggling Households

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on March 19, 2025

GoWest Foundation and Ent Credit Union are proud partners of regional United Ways for sponsorship of United for ALICE’s state reports, which highlight the financial struggles faced by ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households.  

More than 40 percent of U.S. households are unable to afford basics, forcing them to make impossible choices and risky trade-offs every day. These hardworking families, often the backbone of our communities, including teachers, nurses, first responders, and retail and restaurant workers, earn more than the federal poverty level but less than the cost of essentials, including housing, childcare and education, food, transportation, health care, technology, and taxes. With little or no savings, ALICE households are one emergency away from falling into poverty, underscoring the urgent need to address these challenges. 

The ALICE Reports for Colorado (sponsored by Ent Credit Union), Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (sponsored by GoWest Foundation) are the most comprehensive depiction of financial need in the states to date. Each report closely examines current economic conditions for the population that falls within the ALICE index and offers insight into the hardships people face when they do not earn enough to afford their basic needs. 

Number of households below the ALICE threshold:

Colorado: 37% – 9% earned below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and 28% were ALICE (in households that earned above the FPL but not enough to afford the basics in the communities where they live) 

Idaho: 43% – 11% earned below FPL and 32% were ALICE 

Oregon: 45% – 12% earned below FPL and 33% were ALICE 

Washington: 35% – 10% earned below FPL and 24% were ALICE 

Note: Arizona and Wyoming do not participate in ALICE reporting. 

During the launch of ALICE in Colorado, Deisy Cardona, a 43-year-old widowed mother of three who identifies as part of the ALICE population, shared her story about the challenges of making ends meet after losing her husband to cancer. 

“I applied for all the benefits, but because I was fortunate enough to have a good paying job, I didn’t qualify,” said Cardona. “It didn’t matter that my pay was nowhere near enough to cover all our regular expenses – rent, utilities, car payment, car insurance with a teenage boy, groceries, phones, back-to-school shopping, winter coats, and the like. My teenager likes to say, ‘We’re poor, but not poor enough.’” 

Cardona is not alone. ALICE data finds that 37 percent of Colorado residents are not earning enough to cover basic expenses. “We all know ALICE,” said Annie Snead, Director of Community Advocacy at Ent Credit Union. “They’re the recent graduate struggling to afford rent, the young family burdened by childcare costs, and the mid-career professional facing underemployment. Ent partnered with United Way on this important research to better support our 500,000+ members, many of whom share these challenges. These individuals are vital to our state’s economic future but face barriers that make financial stability difficult to achieve.” 

Read the full state reports 

• Colorado 
• Idaho 
• Oregon 
• Washington

How Can Credit Unions Help ALICE?

Not only do credit unions serve ALICE households, but they often employ ALICE populations. Knowing how cost of living, stagnant wages, and lack of additional assistance impact members can directly affect credit union operations. Additionally, ALICE data helps credit unions look for new opportunities and think about how they can frame solutions in a different way. 

ALICE data highlights systemic barriers and identifies opportunities to develop solutions that foster financial stability and equity. At Ent Credit Union, the findings will be used to inform policies and programs aimed at supporting ALICE families statewide, according to Snead. 

Equipped with data, credit unions have opportunities to identify financial services gaps, grow community partnerships, and pilot new products and services to directly address members’ and communities’ needs. 

Credit unions that would like to learn more about ALICE data and present it to their Boards or leadership teams can contact the GoWest Foundation Team at [email protected].  

Posted in Across the Region, Colorado, Community Impact, GoWest Foundation, Idaho, Oregon, Regional Member News, Top Headlines, Washington.