Traditional poverty measures significantly undercounted the number of Collier County households living in financial hardship, according to new data from United Way of Collier and the Keys and its research partner United for ALICE. In 2023, 10% of Collier households lived in poverty, but the State of ALICE in Florida report shows 33% were considered ALICE, or asset-limited, income-constrained, employed.

Combined, 43% of Collier households fell below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in 2023, up 36% from 2021. ALICE households bring in less than the basic costs of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology, plus taxes. Yet, their income is above the Federal Poverty Level, so they often don’t qualify for assistance. In 2023, a family of four in the county needed $90,360 to cover essentials, more than three times the Federal Poverty Level of $30,000.