ALICE in Arkansas

“ALICE” is an acronym that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. It is a new way to understand and measure poverty—a way that brings much greater insight and accuracy than the Federal Poverty Line (FPL). “ALICE” describes households who are above the FPL but do not earn enough to afford basic necessities. These are hardworking households, those who pay taxes and contribute to the Arkansas economy and yet live in a continual state of survival, struggling to make ends meet.

The ALICE in Arkansas report shows realistic income standards needed to move a household from a “survival budget” to a “stability budget" and details the primary obstacles hindering financial stability for so many Arkansans.

Based on the ALICE data from 2017 (prior to COVID), 41% of Arkansans (473,955 households) were either in poverty or were ALICE households. Specific breakouts by city are included below.

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Source: ALICE in Arkansas: A Financial Hardship Study, 2017. Access the full report at: https://www.unitedforalice.org/arkansas

Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed

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Households Below the ALICE Threshold in NWA

Fayetteville - 48% of Households

(16,242 Households)

Springdale - 35% of Households

(9,212 Households)

Rogers - 28% of Households

(7,816 Households)

Bentonville - 36% of Households

(4,119 Households)