United For ALICE is a national research initiative that delivers detailed, county-level data on households facing financial hardship. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—working families who earn above the Federal Poverty Level but still struggle to cover essentials such as housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology.
The organization’s South Carolina page can be found at:
(https://www.unitedforalice.org/county-reports/south-carolina)
It features the 2026 State of ALICE Report, interactive tools, survival budget calculators, and breakdowns by demographics, labor force, and costs for the state and every county—including Saluda County. Visitors can examine local data down to ZIP codes and specific places, highlighting variations often masked by statewide averages.
As the Saluda GOP Second-Vice Chair in charge of Voter Education, I think this resource should be of interest to elected officials at all levels, as well as voters seeking to be well informed of the real life challenges faced by all our citizens.
By measuring the real gap between wages and living costs, United For ALICE provides valuable data to inform community leaders and residents across South Carolina.
