Almost half of Pinellas families can't afford basics, report says
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Families of four with two young kids in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties had to make over $100,000 in 2024 to cover basic expenses like housing, food and child care, per a new report from United Way.
Why it matters: The annual analysis 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.
The big picture: More than a third (37%) of Pinellas households and 32% of Hillsborough households met that definition in 2024.
- Taken with families living below the federal poverty level, about 44% of Hillsborough households struggled to make ends meet, according to the report. In Pinellas, it's nearly half (47%).
- That's more than 470,000 households across the two-county area. Statewide, it's close to 4.3 million.
By the numbers: The report includes household survival budgets per county, or the costs of basic necessities such as housing, transportation, health care and taxes.
- It doesn't include saving for emergencies or future expenses like college or retirement.
- A Hillsborough family of four with two kids in childcare needed $102,840. A similar family in Pinellas needs just over $114,000.
Stunning stat: Pinellas' survival budget is the second-highest in the state, barely trailing Miami-Dade ($114,480).
What they're saying: The data "shows what families across our region already know," said Kourtney Sanchez, CEO of United Way Suncoast, which serves Hillsborough and Pinellas along with Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties.
- "The cost of basic needs continues to outpace what many working households earn."
- That's especially true for Florida's food service and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting workers, per the report.