ALICE IN KANSAS

ALICE data reveals the true scope of financial struggle across Kansas and opens the door to solutions for building stronger communities.

WHO IS ALICE?

ALICE is an acronym that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE households earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford the basics where they live. ALICE reflects the hidden segment of our community that is struggling to afford basic necessities, despite working. Workers below the ALICE Threshold often perform the jobs that keep our economy functioning smoothly. They are child care providers, food service workers, cashiers, personal care aides, delivery drivers, and more. Each day, ALICE households and households in poverty are forced to make tough choices, such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent, choices that have long-term consequences not only for their families, but for all.

Their stories capture the systemic and structural barriers to financial stability, and the struggles and resilience of families experiencing financial hardship.

KEY FINDINGS IN KANSAS

A pie chart showing 36% of our neighbors are working full-time, but not making enough to cover basic expenses each month.ALICE calculates the cost of household essentials for each county in Kansas. These costs are outlined in the ALICE Household Survival Budget, and include housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology, plus taxes and a 10% miscellaneous category. Total costs are then compared to household income to determine how many households in each county don’t earn enough to cover the basics.

According to the most recent data from 2024:

  • In Kansas, average basic costs in the ALICE Household Survival Budget were $27,588 for a single adult and $69,108 for a family of four with two adults and two children in child care.
  • Of Kansas’s 1,189,214 households, 11.5% earned below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and 24.4% were ALICE — households that earned above the FPL, but not enough to afford the ALICE Household Survival Budget.
  • Of the 10 largest industry sectors (by total workers), financial hardship was highest in Accommodation and Food Services, with 46% of workers living in households below the ALICE Threshold. By occupation, rates of financial hardship were as high as 50% for Janitors and Building Cleaners and 48% for Waiters and Waitresses, two of the most common occupations in the state.

GET THE FULL REPORT

For additional key findings, county specific reports, trends in hardship, data tools, click the button below or visit UnitedForALICE.org/Introducing-ALICE/Kansas.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

The United for ALICE data is available in Kansas thanks to these generous organizations:

Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas logo.