The number of households struggling to make ends meet in the Hudson Valley is reaching record numbers. That's according to new data from the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, along with its research partner United For ALICE.

"I am feeling the pinch, everything is going up but your salary," says Yonkers resident Joe Ottati.

That's exactly what has people with the United Way of Westchester and Putnam so concerned.

"The numbers now have just gone through the roof," says Faith Ann Butcher, chief impact officer with the United Way of Westchester and Putnam.

Butcher is talking about the findings of the 2025 ALICE report. That stands for "asset limited, income constrained, employed."

It looks at households that earn more than the federal poverty level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county.

The new report has results from 2023.

"Over 100,000 households in Westchester now are just ALICE, not even in the poverty level. The poverty level is at 10% in Westchester and Putnam is at 6% poverty which is a little bit high for the Putnam side, but to see the jumps on the ALICE side, is really the components that are surprising," Butcher tells News 12.

"While 10% of all households in the county lived in poverty in 2023, the new research shows that 28% –nearly three times as many – were ALICE. Combined, 38% of Westchester’s households, totaling 144,612, fell below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in 2023, up from 2% or 10,581 households in 2022. It is the largest number of households falling below the ALICE Threshold since the study began in 2010," according to the United Way of Westchester and Putnam.

"It's costing more to live and the rate of increase in our pay is not comparable," says Butcher.

In 2023, a family of four with children in childcare in Westchester needed $131,316 just to cover the essentials – more than four times the federal poverty level of $30,000. Yet even with both parents working full time in two of the state’s most common jobs – a personal care aide and a stock worker/order filler – this family’s combined income still fell short of the cost of basics by $57,436, according to the United Way.

Butcher says because the income is above the poverty level, these families often don’t qualify for assistance.

They're seeing the impact of these financial hardships firsthand at the United Way. Calls to their 211 Helpline are going up.

Families around the Hudson Valley say they're feeling the crunch.

"When you're supporting two kids, it gets really expensive nowadays," says Peekskill resident Destiny.

You can read the full 2025 ALICE report here: https://www.uwwp.org/alice/

To learn more about the resources available through the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, click here: https://www.uwwp.org/