Research Center • Indiana

We all know people who are ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE workers educate our children, keep us healthy, and make our quality of life possible, yet do not earn enough to support their own families. ALICE households are forced to make tough choices, such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent, which have long-term consequences not only for ALICE, but for all.

In order to better understand this growing population, United For ALICE provides a framework, language, statistics, and tools that community stakeholders can use to inform policy and drive innovation. The Research Center is the hub of UnitedForALICE.org — a one-stop source for exploring the latest ALICE data, on a national scale down to the local level in our partner states. Use the tabs below to navigate the Research Center.

Indiana • Household Budgets 2018

Traditional economic measures systematically underestimate the actual cost of basic needs and how quickly they increase over time, concealing important aspects of the local and national economy. To better capture the reality of how much households need to live and work in the modern economy in each Indiana county, United For ALICE provides three basic budgets, each of which can be calculated for various household types:

The ALICE Household Survival Budget

The minimal estimate of the total cost of household essentials — housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and a smartphone plan, plus taxes and a miscellaneous contingency fund equal to 10% of the budget.

The Senior Survival Budget

Adjusts the Household Survival Budget to reflect the fact that seniors have lower food costs than younger adults, travel fewer miles for work and family responsibilities, and have increasing health needs and out-of-pocket health care expenses.

The ALICE Household Stability Budget

Posits a more sustainable budget model that estimates the higher costs of maintaining a viable household over time, including a 10% savings category that can be used in an emergency, for additional education, or to buy a home.

State and County Budgets Tool, 2018

ALICE Budgets Differ by Household Type and Location

The interactive map and figure below show how the ALICE budgets differ by household type and location, and how they compare to the Federal Poverty Level.

Monthly Budget Comparison, Indiana, 2018

Cost of Living by Geography, Indiana, 2018

Annual Budget, 2 Adults, 2 Child Care
0.0%		0.0%

ALICE Household Survival Budget, Indiana, 2018

Additional Household Sizes, Survival Budget, Indiana, 2018

The ALICE Household Survival Budget can also be customized for different household sizes using the numbers below:

ALICE Household Stability Budget, Indiana, 2018