New Michigan ALICE Report to Shed Light on the True Scope of Financial Hardship
On June 10, 2026, Michigan will release its newest ALICE Report, providing an updated look at the financial realities facing households across the state. The report continues to challenge traditional measures of poverty by revealing the significant number of working families who struggle to afford basic necessities despite being employed.
ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, represents households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level but still do not make enough to cover the true cost of housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare and other essential expenses.
Previous Michigan ALICE studies found that between 41% and 43% of households were living below the ALICE threshold, highlighting a level of financial hardship that is often overlooked by conventional poverty statistics. Preliminary data from the 2026 report suggests that many communities continue to face similar challenges.
For example, early county level findings indicate that in Marquette County, 17% of households live below the federal poverty line, while an additional 26% qualify as ALICE. Together, that means 43% of local households are struggling to meet basic household budgets.
The release of the new report comes alongside recommendations from Michigan’s 2026 Poverty Task Force, which has called for expanded access to affordable childcare, higher education opportunities, workforce development programs and registered apprenticeships as strategies to improve economic mobility.
For credit unions, community organizations, policymakers and local leaders, the ALICE Report serves as a valuable tool for understanding the financial pressures many households face and for developing solutions that support long term financial well being.
The full Michigan ALICE Report, county level data and interactive dashboards will be available beginning June 10 on the Michigan United for ALICE website
The site allows users to explore local survival budgets, demographic trends and financial hardship data for communities across the state.
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