The ALICE Report, first commissioned for Wisconsin in 2016 through United Way of Wisconsin and its local affiliates, provided a clearer, more realistic picture of economic security across all 72 counties. The report provided crucial data, based on a truer cost of living in each county, that community stakeholders can use to develop strategies to remove obstacles to economic security and identify gaps in community resources.

According to the most recent Wisconsin ALICE Report released in April 2023), 1 in 3 Brown County households (36%) lives below the ALICE Threshold. This equates to more than 39,000 households that struggled to meet daily basic needs such as housing, food, childcare, healthcare, and transportation. The 1 in 3 statistic is comprised of 11% of poverty households (at or below the Federal Poverty Level or FPL) and 25% of Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) households.

There are several organizations and coalitions in Brown County currently working on economic security solutions. Brown County United Way (strategy lead) is in the process of bringing together these groups to determine additional measures to track over time; map and uplift current efforts; and identify gaps and new opportunities to collaborate. For more information, contact Sarah Inman at sarah@browncountyunitedway.org.

For more information on the Wisconsin ALICE Report and to access a free data dashboard, visit https://www.unitedwaywi.org/page/ALICE.