Historically Outpaces Overall Inflation in West Virginia
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The cost of household necessities in West Virginia rose faster than inflation for more than 15 years, leaving many households vulnerable to the growing affordability crisis, according to new data from United For ALICE, in partnership with United Way of the River Cities.
The latest State of ALICE report for West Virginia includes data from the ALICE Essentials Index, which tracks the rising costs of only six basics families need to live and work: housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology. Between 2007 and 2024, the ALICE Essentials Index for West Virginia increased about 65%, compared with 52% for the broader Consumer Price Index (CPI), which reports inflation across more than 200 categories of goods and services.
The report highlights the growing financial strains on the demographic known as ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). With income above the Federal Poverty Level but unable to afford basic expenses, 29,064 households in the UWRC service area were ALICE in 2024. The service area covers Cabell Lincoln, Mason and Wayne counties in West Virginia, and Gallia and Lawrence counties in Ohio. When combined with households in poverty, 48% of all households in this area fell below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival.
“Behind these numbers are families making impossible choices every day — between groceries and utilities, child care and rent,” said Jedd Flowers, Executive Director of United Way of the River Cities. “The ALICE data helps guide our work with partners across our service area, so we can respond to immediate needs and help build stronger paths to stability.”
The crux of the struggle for ALICE families is the gap between wages and expenses. In 2024, a family of four in the UWRC service area needed about $77,416 just to cover the essentials — nearly two and a half times the Federal Poverty Level of $31,200. Yet even with both parents working full time in two of the state’s most common jobs — a cook and a teller — this family’s combined income still fell short of the cost of basics by more than $22,000.
The State of ALICE also reveals that in 2024:
- West Virginia ranked 46th in financial hardship among all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, with one of the nation’s highest percentages of households struggling to make ends meet.
- ALICE households were found in every major industry statewide, with the highest levels of hardship in these occupations: nursing assistants (56%), cashiers (54%) and stockers/order fillers (54%).
- Poverty rates in the UWRC service area have remained relatively flat since 2010, while the number of ALICE households has steadily increased.
- Unlike workers in many other states, minimum-wage workers in West Virginia did not see an increase in wages in 2024. The state minimum wage remained at $8.75 per hour, unchanged since 2015.
- Minimum-wage workers in Ohio saw a slight increase in wages to $10.45 per hour in 2024, up from $10.10 in 2023. Yet for one full-time adult worker with one school-age child, that wage still was not enough to support the ALICE Household Survival Budget, the minimum cost of basics, in any county across Ohio.
“The ALICE research shows that the affordability crisis is not new,” said Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D., National Director at United For ALICE. “Already stretched thin, ALICE families have no cushion for rising gas or utility costs — forcing tough tradeoffs with other necessities. That’s the insight policymakers and community leaders need to build a stronger future for ALICE and all.”
More state and local data is available through the interactive dashboards on UnitedForALICE.org
About United Way of the River Cities
United Way of the River Cities is a nonprofit organization that connects the community with resources to reduce poverty and improve lives. UWRC envisions a community where everyone has the tools and opportunity to thrive. UWRC addresses the community’s most pressing needs in four impact areas: healthy community, youth opportunity, financial security and community resilience for every person in Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln and Mason 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 41 states and the District of Columbia and includes United Ways, corporations, nonprofits and foundations in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin; we are United For ALICE. For more information, visit: UnitedForALICE.org.
