A new report from United Ways of Georgia shows that 44% of Georgia households did not earn enough to cover basic costs in 2024. That is more than 1.8 million households across the state. Of those, 13% lived below the federal poverty line, and another 30% fell into a group called ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are working households that earn too much to qualify for many assistance programs, but not enough to pay for housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology where they live.
A Georgia family of four needed about $77,568 a year to cover basic costs in 2024. Two full-time workers in common jobs, such as a cook and a bank teller, earned a combined $61,931, leaving a gap of more than $15,000.
Financial hardship varies widely by county, ranging from 25% of households in Oconee County to 75% in Wheeler County. It also hit renters hard, with 71% of ALICE and poverty-level renters paying more than 30% of their income on housing.
For city officials, the data offers a clearer picture of the workforce and residents cities serve every day. The report was produced using research from United For ALICE. Full data is available at UnitedForALICE.org.