Half of San Antonio Families Struggle Financially, Study Finds

A growing number of families in San Antonio and greater Bexar County have incomes above the poverty line, yet still struggle to get by, according to a new study by United Ways of Texas.

More than one in two families in San Antonio fall into this category, as do one in three families in Bexar County. They earn too much to qualify for government assistance, but not enough to cover basic living expenses such as housing, food, transportation, child care, and other essentials.

Historically, people in difficult financial positions have been known as “working poor”. The study, however, coined a new term—ALICE, which stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. To qualify as ALICE in Bexar County, a household would earn below $59,952 annually for a family of four, or below $20,196 for an individual.

People living and working in San Antonio are particularly vulnerable, due to the city’s dependence on retail, service, and tourism—industries that don’t pay enough for people to prosper, said Adrianna Cuellar Rojas, president and CEO of United Ways of Texas.

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