New Data Reveals More Than One in Three Sedgwick County Households Live Paycheck to Paycheck

WICHITA, Kan., June 10, 2026 — Thirty-eight percent of households in Sedgwick County struggle to afford basic necessities as the cost of essentials continues to outpace inflation, according to new data from United for ALICE in partnership with United Way of the Plains. Designed to help inform policy decisions to support working families, the 2026 Kansas ALICE report unveils affordability numbers for every county in Kansas, including Sedgwick. The information can also be sorted by ZIP code and state legislative district.

ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) is a term that reflects a demographic facing a growing affordability crisis. ALICE households work full-time but earn less than the cost of basics. Because their income is above the Federal Poverty Level, they often don’t qualify for assistance.

The crux of the struggle for ALICE households is the gap between wages and expenses. In 2024, a family of four with two children in childcare in Sedgwick County needed $76,512 to cover the essentials, nearly two and a half times the Federal Poverty Level of $31,200. Yet even with both parents working full-time in two of the most common jobs in Kansas, a cook and a bank teller, this family’s combined income still fell short of the cost of basics by $11,536. In fact, the median household salary in Sedgwick County is $70,833, which is almost $6,000 short of the cost of basics.

ALICE workers typically hold jobs essential to helping our economy run, such as childcare providers, home health aides, delivery drivers, grocery store cashiers, janitors, cooks, and retail positions. ALICE households were found in every major industry statewide in 2024, with the highest levels of hardship in food services (46%), retail (29%), and transportation and warehousing (22%).

ALICE tracks the rising costs of six essential basic needs that any family should have to live and work: housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, and technology. Between 2007 and 2024, the cost of these essential needs grew 59% in Kansas, compared with 52% for the broader Consumer Price Index (CPI), which reports inflation across more than 200 categories of goods and services.

“Behind these numbers are families making impossible choices every day between groceries and utilities, childcare and rent,” said Pete Najera, United Way of the Plains President and CEO. “ALICE represents hardworking households in our community. By better understanding the challenges they face, we can bring businesses, nonprofits, and government entities together to create solutions that will help more households achieve stability and thrive.”

Additional information, including Sedgwick County insights, can be found through the following resources:

• Click here to download the “2026 State of ALICE in Kansas” report.
• To explore interactive dashboards on the state of ALICE in Kansas, visit UnitedForALICE.org/Kansas.
• Click here to download a handout summarizing ALICE in Sedgwick County.
• For detailed information on ALICE in Sedgwick County, visit UnitedForALICEorg/County-Reports/Kansas and select Sedgwick County from the dropdown.

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MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Pete Najera, United Way of the Plains President and CEO, is available for interviews regarding the ALICE data and its implications for the local workforce.

MEDIA CONTACT: Bryan Ramsdale, Manager of Digital Content Creation, (316) 267-1321, ext. 4103, bramsdale@unitedwayplains.org

United Way of the Plains mobilizes our community to action so all can thrive. From strengthening local resilience to advancing health, youth opportunity, and financial security, we’re working towards a future where every person in south-central Kansas can reach their full potential. Follow us on these social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.