Nearly half of Pinellas, Hillsborough households can't afford basic expenses
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A family of four in Pinellas County had to make at least $89,000 in 2023 to cover basic expenses such as housing, food and health care.
- In Hillsborough, it was at least $84,000, according to a new report from United Way.
Why it matters: The report puts data to the financial hardship experienced by households that earn more than the federal poverty line but not enough to survive where they live.
- Those families are considered asset-limited, income-constrained and employed, or ALICE.
By the numbers: More than a third (36%) of Pinellas households and 32% of Hillsborough households met that definition in 2023.
- Taken together with families living below the federal poverty level, nearly half the households in each county struggled to make ends meet, according to the report.
- That's more than 475,000 households across the two-county area. Statewide, it's more than 4.1 million.
Stunning stat: To attain financial stability, including 10% savings for emergencies or longer-term goals, a family of four had to earn at least $125,000 in Pinellas and $127,000 in Hillsborough.
The big picture: A "fundamental mismatch between the cost of living and what jobs pay" contributes to the problem, the report says.
- Common jobs in Florida have a high share of ALICE workers, including restaurant servers, retail salespeople, customer service representatives and teachers.
What they're saying: Pinellas County commissioner Chris Latvala called the findings "very sobering" during a commission meeting Tuesday.
- "It's people that are our county staff," he said, "our first responders, people in the tourism industry, people that … we need to have working here in our county to make the county function."
Go deeper: Explore more ALICE data here.