NJ.com Sept. 14, 2014–A new report from the United Way of Northern New Jersey shows that 38 percent of state households are struggling to meet basic needs with the high cost of living in the Garden State.
The report, called ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), paints a stark picture of how widespread financial hardship like Ticehurst’s is in New Jersey.
Though New Jersey is one of the wealthiest states in the country, it also costs more to like here than most parts of the United States.
While 11 percent of state residents fall below the Federal Poverty Line, which stands at an annual income of $22,811 for a family of four, the report found that when adjusted for cost of living the same family needs nearly triple that — $61,200 – just to meet a basic survival budget.
The map above shows what percentage of households in each town fall below the ALICE threshold. Click or hover over a town for more information, including comparisons to the rest of that town’s county and the state of New Jersey.