This is the second installment in a series about ALICE and poverty in Central Indiana. Data in this blog represents the seven counties served by United Way of Central Indiana: Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties. To learn more about ALICE, read our previous post, “Diving into ALICE: ALICE and poverty – what’s the difference?”

In April, United Way of Central Indiana and Indiana United Ways, in partnership with United for ALICE, released a report called “ALICE in the Crosscurrents: COVID and Financial Hardship in Indiana.” This report talks about ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected families in, or one emergency away from, poverty.

Here are three key findings from this report about ALICE and poverty in Central Indiana:

Key finding No. 1: The number of households below the ALICE threshold is increasing in Central Indiana.

There are 244,462 households in ALICE and poverty in Central Indiana. This number has increased by 11% since 2018.

This means that more than one in three households in our community are not making enough to cover costs for everyday expenses like housing, food and child care.

Key finding No. 2: ALICE and poverty rates vary across Central Indiana, and they are increasing at different rates.

Central Indiana has a lower rate of ALICE and poverty households (36%) than the state of Indiana (39%). However, looking at a single data point for the entire region does not paint a complete picture.

ALICE and poverty rates vary across counties in our region.

Marion County has the highest percentage of ALICE and poverty households with 42%. Hamilton, Hendricks and Boone counties have rates lower than 30%.

While Central Indiana has three of the 10 counties with the lowest rates of ALICE and poverty in Indiana, these counties are experiencing some of the fastest growth in ALICE and poverty households in our region. This includes Hancock (up 24% since 2018), Hamilton (up 23% since 2018), and Hendricks (up 17% since 2018) counties.

Differences by geography do not stop at county borders. In a future blog post, we will discuss how the number of households under the ALICE threshold varies within counties.

To explore maps with ALICE data by county and ZIP code, you can visit the “Poverty & ALICE in Central Indiana” page on our Impact United interactive data dashboard.

Key finding No. 3: Financial hardship is not evenly distributed across Central Indiana.

Due to structural barriers like racism and ageism, financial hardship felt by families in our community is not evenly distributed across race, ethnicity, age and household composition.

The ALICE and poverty rate across Central Indiana is 36%. Households led by people of color, particularly African American or Black (53%) and Hispanic/Latino (49%) households, are much higher than this rate. White and Asian households have lower rates of ALICE and poverty in the same area at 30%.

These differences reflect decades of unjust policies and societal norms. This has led Black and Hispanic/Latino households to be ALICE or in poverty at unfairly high rates.

ALICE and poverty rates also vary by age. Nearly half of households headed by people over the age of 65 are ALICE and poverty. Members of these households are often retired and on a fixed income, making them particularly vulnerable to financial emergencies and rapid increases in the cost of living.

Households experience financial hardship at different rates. Single-parent households are much more likely to be ALICE and poverty than the average across Central Indiana. Seventy-three percent of households headed by single women are ALICE and poverty, and 46% of households headed by single men are ALICE and poverty. Finding high-quality, affordable child care is essential for parents and children in these families, but its high cost may lead to tradeoffs in other areas of their lives, such as housing and healthy groceries.

The latest ALICE report shows many in our community are in, or are one emergency away, from poverty. This financial hardship is not shared equally by households across the region with different backgrounds. With these differences, there isn’t a single solution for distancing families from poverty and ALICE. Making Central Indiana a more just and equitable place will require meeting the needs of families of different races, ethnicities, ages, compositions and locations in ways that reflect their life experiences.

Data from the ALICE report is critical to helping United Way develop strategies and support partners to help distance families from poverty and ALICE into financial stability.

To explore data on ALICE in Central Indiana, visit the ”Poverty & ALICE in Central Indiana” page on our Impact United interactive data dashboard.