ALICE in the Crosscurrents
Hardship in Connecticut continued to be shaped by the conflicting economic forces of the pandemic, and remained substantially undercounted by official measures. These powerful crosscurrents — COVID-19, inflation, wage growth, and the expansion and expiration of pandemic public assistance — impacted how many households were below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival.
Between 2021 and 2022, the number of households in poverty in Connecticut increased by 1,145 (to 11% of all households) and the number of ALICE households increased by 9,657 (to 29% of all households), continuing a decade-long trend in the growth of this population. In 2022, of the 1,430,904 households in Connecticut, 563,512 — 39%* — 
were below the ALICE Threshold.
View a snapshot of the ALICE data for Southeastern Connecticut.
With the latest data from the American Community Survey (2022), the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (2023), and the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) (2022), this Update highlights the conflicting forces that continue to present opportunities for, and barriers to, financial stability in Connecticut.
View the complete ALICE Report for Connecticut.
* In Connecticut in 2022, out of 1,430,904 households, there were 151,105 (10.6%) in poverty plus 412,407 (28.8%) ALICE, totaling 563,512 (39.4%) below the ALICE Threshold, which is rounded to 39% in this Report.
ABOUT ALICE
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) is a national, data-driven research initiative that reveals a hidden crisis in our communities. Traditional poverty measures don’t capture the full extent of financial hardship in our communities. Connecticut United Ways are committed to shedding light on this issue and unlocking solutions to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Connecticut has experienced many ups and downs over the last few years. But one alarming trend remains steady: the growing number of ALICE families in every corner of our state.
ALICE is us, our friends, neighbors, coworkers and family members. We lean on ALICE for support, yet many ALICE households are one emergency away from a financial crisis impacting their ability to feed their families, heat their homes, maintain their houses and ensure their medical care. For a growing number of U.S. households, financial stability is nothing more than a pipe dream, no matter how hard their members work.