West Virginia Ranked 43rd in the U.S. for Percentage of Children Living in Financial Hardship
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – In 2022, 54% of West Virginia’s children lived in households that couldn’t afford the basics, according to new data from United Way of the River Cities and its research partner United For ALICE. This ranks West Virginia 43rd in the nation, with a ranking of 1 representing the lowest percentage of hardship for children.
Across the river, nearly half (46%) of children in Ohio lived in households experiencing financial hardship, ranking the state 23rd in the nation.
ALICE in Focus: Children reveals that traditional measures of poverty have severely undercounted the number of children ages 18 and younger in West Virginia who are growing up in financially insecure households. While 24% of all children in the state lived in poverty in 2022, the new data shows that 30% lived in families defined as ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). ALICE households earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic costs of housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care and technology, plus taxes.
Ohio faired only slightly better, with 18% of children below the FPL, and an additional 28% defined as ALICE.
The research also shows that the 54% of children in 2022 who were below the ALICE Threshold – consisting of ALICE households and households in poverty combined – increased from 49% in 2019. Ohio’s percentage of children below the ALICE Threshold remained stubbornly at 46%.
“Undercounting the number of children living in hardship in our state not only masks the true scale of the issue but also hinders our ability to provide the necessary support and resources,” said Jedd Flowers, UWRC Executive Director. “Without these, our children are at risk of falling behind in school, facing health issues and missing out on opportunities to flourish as they grow.”
Because ALICE households often earn too much to qualify for public assistance, the data finds that in 2022, West Virginia children in struggling families didn’t access the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In Ohio, that number was more than 655,000 children,
ALICE in Focus: Children also reveals that in 2022:
- Racial disparities persisted, with In Ohio, 75% of Black and 60% of Hispanic children lived in households with income below the ALICE Threshold, compared with 38% of White children.
- Having two working parents didn’t guarantee financial stability: Among all West Virginia households with two working adults, 32% of children (27% in Ohio) were still growing up in hardship.
- More than 41,000 children in households earning below the ALICE Threshold had no high-speed internet access at home. That number in Ohio was more than 222,000.
“To unlock a brighter future for every child, we’ve got to aim higher than the poverty level,” said United For ALICE National Director Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D. “Together we are working to make the ALICE Threshold the minimum standard for child well-being.”
More state and local data is available through the interactive ALICE in Focus: Children Data Dashboard – which provides filters for regional and local geographies, age, race, disability status, living arrangements and household work status. Visit UnitedForALICE.org/Focus-Children.
ALICE in Focus: Children is part of the ALICE in Focus Research Series, which draws from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS). Each installment in the series highlights a specific population within the ALICE demographic. Topics have included people with disabilities and veterans.
About United Way of the River Cities
The mission of United Way of the River Cities is to connect our community with resources to reduce poverty and improve lives. We bring a comprehensive approach to every challenge, actively listening and responding to local needs. We address the community’s most pressing needs in four impact areas, health, education, financial stability, and basic needs. Together, we’re helping mobilizing communities to action by convening coalitions, funding nonprofit partners and internal initiatives, and by measuring results. United Way of the River Cities serves Cabell, Lincoln, Mason and Wayne counties in West Virginia, and Gallia and Lawrence Counties in Ohio.
About United For ALICE
United For ALICE is a U.S. research organization driving innovation, research and action to improve life across the country for ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and for all. Through the development of the ALICE measurements, a comprehensive, unbiased picture of financial hardship has emerged. Harnessing this data and research on the mismatch between low-paying jobs and the cost of survival, ALICE partners convene, advocate and collaborate on solutions that promote financial stability at local, state and national levels. This grassroots ALICE movement, led by United Way of Northern New Jersey, has spread to 34 states and the District of Columbia and includes United Ways, corporations, nonprofits and foundations in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin; we are United For ALICE. For more information, visit: UnitedForALICE.org.
