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A report from the United Way shows that almost half of Floridians are struggling to afford the basics. That’s one of the surprising findings on affordability for the Tampa Bay region and the state.
The data comes from United Way’s United for ALICE report. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed.
It’s people earning more than the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford the basics where they live.
Ryan Lewandowski is the manager of Data Analysis at United Way Suncoast.
“In Hillsborough County, it is more expensive to have a child in childcare through the year, than for a semester of tuition at USF.”
The report is based on 2022 data. It also showed Pinellas County is the most expensive county to raise a family of four with two children in childcare. It’s about $98,000 a year for that family to survive.
Lewandowski hopes the reports highlights the struggles of many Floridians.
“It’s showing how quickly our population growth is making the cost of living go up. Florida is seeing massive rises in housing costs, and our wages are not matching that housing increased cost.”
