MARQUETTE — A new report has found that 43% of households in Marquette County struggle to get by, especially as the cost of basics has risen over time.

The Michigan Association of United Ways, in collaboration with United For ALICE, will release the new ALICE Report for the state of Michigan on June 10. So-called ALICE households bring in less than the basic costs of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology, plus taxes. Yet because their income is above the federal poverty level, they often don’t qualify for assistance.

Additionally, the report reveals that traditional measures of poverty have severely undercounted the number of households countywide that are living in financial hardship. While 17% of all households in Marquette County lived in poverty in 2024, the new research shows that an additional 26% were ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). Combined, 43% of Marquette County’s households fell below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in 2024, up from 41% in 2023.

“Behind these numbers are families making impossible choices every day — between groceries and utilities, child care and rent,” said United Way Executive Director Andrew Rickaur. “The ALICE data helps guide our work with partners across Marquette County, so we can respond to immediate needs and help build stronger paths to stability.”

The crux of the struggle for ALICE families is the gap between wages and expenses. In 2024, a family of four in Michigan needed $78,216 just to cover the essentials, yet even with both parents working full time in two of the state’s most common jobs — a cook and a teller — this family’s combined income still fell short of the cost of basics by $15,270.

The state of ALICE in Michigan also reveals that in 2024:

• Michigan ranked 29th in financial hardship among all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. 


• ALICE households were found in every major industry statewide, with the some of the highest levels of hardship 
in health care (20%), food service and accommodation (40%), and retail trade (30%). 


• Poverty rates in Marquette County have remained relatively flat since 2010, while the number of ALICE 
households has steadily increased.

Community members are invited to a public release and discussion of the ALICE Report at 3 p.m. Thursday, June 11, at MARESA (Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency). This event will bring together local leaders, service providers and residents to explore the report’s findings and collaborate on solutions to support ALICE families in Marquette County.