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No.

Many Connecticut residents are financially struggling, but it’s not half.

While no recent study has used a “paycheck-to-paycheck” framing, 39% of Connecticut households were struggling to make ends meet in 2022, including nearly 11% of families living in poverty, according to a 2024 report issued by the United Way in Connecticut.

The United Way uses a methodology called ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — identifying families unable “to afford the basic cost of living in their county” but often ineligible for public assistance programs. About 28.8% of the 39%, or 563,512 struggling households, were ALICE families.

A family of four needed over $113,000 annually in 2022 to cover basic costs.

Federal Reserve data shows that 18% of adults reported they couldn’t pay their bills in full in October 2022, with low-income households far more likely to fall short.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

CT Mirror partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims.

Sources

Reginald David is the Community Engagement Reporter for CT Mirror. He builds relationships across Connecticut to elevate community voices and deepen public dialogue around local issues. Previously, he was a producer at KCUR 89.3, Kansas City’s NPR station, where he created community-centered programming, led live event coverage for major events like the NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade, and Royals Opening Day, and launched KC Soundcheck, a music series spotlighting local and national artists. Reginald has also hosted special segments, including an in-depth interview with civil rights leader Alvin Brooks and live community coverage on issues like racial segregation and neighborhood development. He began his public media career as an ‘Integrity in News’ intern at WNPR in Hartford.