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BEMIDJI 鈥� The United Way of Bemidji Area is making strides to bring attention to the growing challenges faced by families in the community who, despite being employed, are struggling to make ends meet.

Known as ALICE households, these families fall just above the poverty line, leaving them vulnerable to financial crises.

A new report, "ALICE in Minnesota: A Study of Financial Hardship," released by and United For ALICE, reveals that despite wage increases, the number of struggling households in Minnesota has continued to grow.

鈥淎lice is an acronym. It stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. And it is data about people or families that live just above the poverty line and are working and are one emergency away from being in poverty,鈥� said Denae Alamano, executive director of the Bemidji United Way.

The report highlights how wage growth, even at the fastest rate in four decades, has been no match for inflation. From 2021 to 2022, the number of households living paycheck to paycheck in Minnesota increased to 36%, or 834,343 households. This includes 233,779 in poverty and 600,564 ALICE households.

Alamano noted that Minnesota is not the first to adopt the ALICE data.

鈥淚 think we're the 31st or 32nd state to get this information for our state," she said. "The reason we found it important is that these are the people we're talking about in every community issue meeting. They're the people who need transportation to work and their cars aren't working, or they want to qualify for day care but they live just above the threshold where they could get help with day care costs."

For many in Bemidji, these challenges are not abstract statistics but day-to-day realities.

According to the report, in 2022 in Beltrami County, 28% of households were ALICE, compared to the state average of 26%, and 14% of Beltrami County households were in poverty, compared to the state average of 10%. This means in Beltrami County, more households are struggling per capita than the state average, with 42% percent below the ALICE threshold.

鈥淚t's exciting to get this information because then we can do something about it," Alamano said. "We have the story and the data, and we can make a difference with that information for the families that live in our community.鈥�

With the official report having launched Sept. 10, Alamano is eager for community members to access the findings, noting how surprising it may be to see the cost of just paying bills today, without considering savings or vacations.

The ALICE households span all demographics and ages, highlighting that the financial strain cuts across generations.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not just talking about younger families. It's across the spectrum for all ages,鈥� Alamano said.

The report says that for a family of four with an infant and a preschooler, the basic costs to live and work in Minnesota, excluding tax credits, rose from $63,444 in 2021 to $77,304 a year later. Compounding the issue in 2022 was the loss of up to $15,000 in federal child tax credits and stimulus payments that this family had access to in 2021.

In 2022, household costs in Beltrami County for a single adult ($25,524) and a family of four ($74,700) were well above the federal poverty level of $13,590 and $27,750 respectively.

"The findings in this one-year period are consistent with a more than decade-long trend: Since the end of the Great Recession, despite some ups and downs, the number of ALICE households in Minnesota has been steadily growing," the report said. "From 2010 to 2022, the total number of households rose by 10%, households in poverty increased by 1% 鈥� and the number of ALICE households grew by 33%."

Inflation, stagnant wages and rising costs of living 鈥� especially housing 鈥� further complicate the picture.

鈥淲hen I bought a home as a young married couple with just one baby at the time," Alamano shared, reflecting on her own experience, "that house cost $140,000 then. I looked it up on Zillow to see what it costs now and it's $320,000. Yes, salaries have increased, but not at a rate that could ever keep up with inflation.鈥�

To address the problem, the United Way is already working on solutions. One initiative, Wheels to Work, helps families repair vehicles needed for transportation to work, school or day care.

鈥淚t's exciting to have this data because now we know the county has a couple of car repair programs. So we know their threshold, what an income needs to look like. And now we can fill that gap,鈥� Alamano explained.

The United Way is also collaborating with local entities and looking to the future.

鈥淪o the hope is that anyone can use this (data), including our own local nonprofits, too 鈥� I know Greater Bemidji is really interested in the data. So is the county, and Bemidji State had lots of stakeholder meetings with different people sharing that this is coming,鈥� she said.

Through the report, the United Way hopes to guide future support and programs. Initiatives like child care scholarships and housing trusts could offer solutions drawn from other states' experiences.

Alamano said the organization will seek out nonprofits that serve ALICE families, emphasizing a focus on helping these often overlooked yet vital contributors to the local economy.

鈥淲e allocate dollars every year to nonprofits in our community," she added. "And we'll be asking if they're serving ALICE families and how they're doing that. We want to put a focus on ALICE with the dollars that we receive here.鈥�

To learn more about the United Way, visit and to view the full ALICE data report, visit