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Meet ALICE: Earning Above Poverty, Falling Short on Basics
A local father shares what it’s like to live paycheck-to-paycheck, despite decades of work experience — and why he believes more people are ALICE than we realize.
Two hundred and fifty job applications. Four interviews. A family of three living paycheck to paycheck.
Bradford has been living on the razor’s edge for the past two years, just barely making ends meet. And he’s not alone.
United Way of Central Florida data shows nearly 33% of Polk households are ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. They earn too much to qualify for government assistance, but barely enough to cover basic needs.
Often invisible, they are families like Bradford’s: working, applying, trying — but stretched past the breaking point.
Who is Bradford?
Bradford, 52, lives in Mulberry/South Lakeland with his wife and their 16-year-old son. He also has two adult daughters and six grandchildren.
The family moved from New Hampshire in June 2021 to be closer to their grandkids. His wife is a regulatory compliance officer at a bank. Her paycheck covers the basics — but not much more.
“We’re well under $100K and living paycheck to paycheck,” Bradford said.
Bradford has over 30 years of management experience for big box stores, but after a company restructure cost him his job, he’s been out of steady work for more than two years.
But like 28% of that population, they earn too much to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. To be eligible, a family of three cannot have a gross monthly income of more than $2,798 (130% of the federal poverty line).
Rising grocery prices have hit Bradford’s family hard. After the mortgage, property insurance, car payments, auto insurance and utility bills, there’s not much left to fill the pantry.
They rely on food banks, shop at discount stores and stretch groceries. Meat is a luxury.
“There have been days where I drank water and opened a can of corn for the whole day,” Bradford said.
No safety net
Bradford and his wife do everything they can to save money. They’ve raised the thermostat, cut back on driving, and even negotiated their internet bill down $50.
But unexpected expenses are a constant worry. A flat tire can upend the month. They live one car repair or medical bill away from crisis.
According to United Way’s Household Survival Budget, a family of four needs $77,908to get by in Polk County. That’s what housing, food, transportation, health care and taxes actually cost — without anything extra for savings, emergencies or future goals.
It’s nearly triple the federal poverty line. It’s also far above Polk’s median household income of $63,644 (2023).
Sometimes, even the systems meant to help can fail. When his wife asked about mortgage forbearance, the bank said the only option was to default first.
Tens of thousands of Polk County families quietly make similar tradeoffs every day: Fill the prescription or pay the electric bill? Go to the doctor or tough it out? Be late on the car payment or the rent?
But it’s easy to feel alone.
Bradford’s feeling of isolation led him to post a poll in the popular Facebook group “We Live in Lakeland and I have Questions” on Aug. 6.
“I just wanted to see how close I was to everyone else,” he said.
One man’s Facebook poll on Aug. 6, 2025 sparked a needed conversation about making ends meet. |Facebook
The response was overwhelming. And two-thirds of the 1,152 people who voted said no, they aren’t making a livable wage working only one job.
Need continues to rise
United Way estimates that 1 in 3 of Polk County households (32.9%) occupies the invisible middle. They live above the federal poverty line, but below the ALICE threshold. They don’t qualify for most government assistance programs, but still struggle get by.
ALICE households grew 6% from 2010 to 2018 — and the need has only continued to rise.
In 2023, Polk had more than 100,000 ALICE households, compared to over 40,000 living in poverty.
Human cost
ALICE families like Bradford’s often appear “invisible” because they have jobs, houses, or cars. But most of the hidden cost is anxiety, impossible trade-offs, and the emotional weight of trying to provide stability when the math doesn’t add up.
The daily grind of stretching dollars takes more than a financial toll. For Bradford, it has also been deeply personal.
After losing his job, health challenges piled on and so did the medical bills.
“My wife stuck beside me,” he said. “She’s an angel.”
Even so, Bradford and his family fight to stay positive. He and his wife volunteer at The Bully Project, helping rescue dogs from euthanasia. He’s teaching his 16-year-old son what resilience looks like, having him volunteer at food banks to see the need firsthand.
“I don’t want him growing up thinking struggle is the norm,” Bradford said.
Find support
Florida’s Vocational Rehabilitation helps people with physical or mental health challenges return to work. It connects them with training, counseling and employers who will work with them. Apply online or call (407) 897-2700.
CareerSource Polk connects job seekers with local employers. It hosts job fairs, offers career counseling and provides training. It also helps people apply for assistance including unemployment benefits and childcare vouchers. Visit the website, stop by the Lakeland office at 309 N. Ingraham Ave. or call (863) 680-5534.
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a Lakeland native and graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her degree in English and film production. She began her media career in Atlanta at CNN, quickly rising from production assistant editor to technical director/editor, leading live broadcasts alongside field reporters. Since then, she’s worked in education, instructional design and independent filmmaking.
