Blog Post by Candace Rotolo

According to the new ALICE Report, the annual cost to make ends meet for certain families in Pinellas and Sarasota counties has surged past $100,000, according to new data from United Way Suncoast and its research partner, United For ALICE.

ALICE® stands 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 State of ALICE: 2025 Update on Financial Hardship, released on May 12, offers an in-depth look at the growing number of households struggling to afford essentials. The household survival budget for a family of four with an infant and toddler in Pinellas County has risen to $108,480. In Sarasota, it’s ballooned to $104,424. A survival budget reflects the minimum cost to live and work in today’s economy and includes housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and a basic smartphone plan.

The State of ALICE: 2025 Update shows that across the five-county Suncoast region, the average household survival budget in 2023 rose to $96,516 — an 8% increase from 2022, with the largest increase in Sarasota County at 10%.

Additional key findings:

• Households in Pinellas County need a stability budget of $145,824 Stability budget is a benchmark for the minimum income needed for a household to achieve a stable and secure financial future, including basic necessities, plus funds set aside for savings, emergencies, taxes and retirement.

• Adjusted for population distribution, the average household budget across the region was $100,582 in 2023. This takes into account that more than a third of residents live in Hillsborough County.
• DeSoto County experienced the highest population growth in the region, while Pinellas was nearly stagnant. The cost of living in the county and the effects of Hurricanes Helene and Milton may be contributing factors.

Statewide, 47% of Florida households are either living below the Federal Poverty Level or are ALICE households. The Florida ALICE Household Survival Budget for a family of four with two adults, an infant and a preschooler reached $86,688, far above the $30,000 federal poverty threshold.

Nationally, more than 2 in 5 households are living below the ALICE Threshold.

Financial Hardship Across Tampa Bay

The ALICE Report reveals just how widespread financial hardship is – even for working families.

• Hillsborough County
  • Population: 1,535,564 | Households: 593,029
  • Survival Budget Needed: $96,744
  • Median Income: $76,687
  • 46% of households live below the ALICE Threshold
• Pinellas County
  • Population: 961,596 | Households: 439,896
  • Survival Budget Needed: $108,480
  • Median Income: $70,768
  • 46% of households live below the ALICE Threshold
• Sarasota County
  • Population: 469,013 | Households: 218,010
  • Survival Budget Needed: $104,424
  • Median income: $77,705
  • 43% of households live below the ALICE Threshold

• Manatee County
  • Population: 441,095 | Households: 190,091
  • Survival Budget Needed: $95,004
  • Median Income: $79,524
  • 42% of households live below the ALICE Threshold
• DeSoto County
  • Population: 34,719 | Households: 12,656
  • Survival Budget Needed: $77,928
  • Median income: $50,868
  •   59% of households live below the ALICE Threshold

(All figures based on a family of four: two adults, an infant, and a preschooler)

We Can’t Do This Alone

“The ALICE data reveals what too many families in our community already know — that working hard is no longer enough to achieve stability,” said Jessica Muroff, CEO of United Way Suncoast. “At United Way Suncoast, we are committed to lifting the voices of ALICE families and mobilizing resources to help them thrive. These are our teachers, health aides, childcare workers, and essential staff — the people who keep our communities running. They deserve the dignity of financial security.”

United Way Suncoast’s impact areas – Educational Opportunity, Financial Security and Community Resiliency –  form an interconnected path that empowers individuals with the ability to create the life they envision for themselves, their families and their communities.

The organization also calls on community leaders, policymakers, and employers to use the ALICE data as a tool for informed action. The findings emphasize the urgent need for investments in affordable housing, quality childcare, workforce development, and access to health care. As costs continue to rise, meaningful solutions must ensure that hardworking families are not forced to make impossible choices between rent, food, and child care. Everyone in our community deserves the opportunity to succeed — and that begins with making the basics affordable.

“It’s also important to note that we do everything in partnership,” Muroff said. “We team with fellow nonprofits, stakeholders, corporate partners, individual donors, and volunteers to make a difference, and we often lead in these collaborative efforts. To bring about the needed systemic change for ALICE families, we cannot do this alone.”

To learn more about the ALICE data and access the interactive report, visit our ALICE page or www.UnitedForAlice.org/Florida.