States Where Americans Are Struggling Most to Afford Basic Needs

Today, 13% of U.S households are earning below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), while an additional 29% of U.S. households qualify as ALICE—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—earning too much to qualify for assistance, but not enough to cover essentials. Together, 42% of U.S. households live below the ALICE Threshold, unable to meet the minimum cost of living. 

As working families face mounting pressures, from soaring rent and energy costs to food insecurity and transportation expenses, the challenge of meeting even basic household needs has never been more widespread. And depending on where you live, those challenges can be even more severe.

To better understand where Americans are struggling the most, we analyzed the most recent Household Pulse Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau and ranked all 50 states across six key indicators of financial stress: missed energy bill payments, risk of eviction or foreclosure, difficulty covering household expenses, food assistance for children, inability to afford gas, and household food insecurity.

This state-by-state ranking provides a clear picture of where Americans are struggling most to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table, and utility bills paid. Let’s take a look at the results.

States Where Struggling Is Most and Least Severe

10 States Where Americans Are Struggling the Most to Cover the Basics

1. Mississippi – Score: 90.2 (out of 100)
2. Louisiana – Score: 80.3
3. West Virginia – Score: 77.8
4. New Mexico – Score: 74.7
5. Nevada – Score: 72.7
6. Oklahoma – Score: 71.3
7. California – Score: 70.4
8. Georgia – Score: 70.2
9. Alabama – Score: 70.0
10. Texas – Score: 68.9

Mississippi ranks as the state where Americans struggle the most to meet their basic needs. Its 30.0% rate of households facing difficulty paying their energy bills is nearly 32% higher than the national average (22.8%). More than 37% of adults in Mississippi live in households that are behind on rent or mortgage payments and at risk of eviction or foreclosure within the next two months, over 20% higher than the national norm. Additionally, its food insecurity rate (14.9%) not only exceeds the national average of 10.7% but also ranks as the highest in the country.

Louisiana follows closely behind, with 29.1% of households struggling to afford energy payments and nearly 43% finding it hard to cover day-to-day household expenses, roughly 20% above the national average of 35.8%. Its food insecurity rate, at 14.8%, also exceeds the national benchmark by 4 points.

In West Virginia, 29.1% of households have missed at least one energy bill payment in the last 12 months, and a staggering 58.6% of adults say affording gas is a challenge, roughly 14% higher than the U.S. average. The state also reports one of the highest levels of food assistance for children at 58.8%, compared to a national average of 38.5%.

New Mexico also ranks in the top five due to its elevated eviction risk (36.4%, over 18% above the average) and the highest share of children receiving food assistance in the study (62.7%, or 24% more than the average).

In Nevada, nearly 35% of households face an eviction risk, and 56.8% of residents report difficulty affording gas, which is 5.5 percentage points above the national average. Its food assistance rate among children is also elevated at 50.9%.

Oklahoma struggles with a high 42.3% rate of household expense difficulty and a 13.0% food insecurity rate—roughly 21% above the national average. More than 56% of adults also live in households that report issues affording gas.

California lands in the top 10 largely due to high costs in fuel (58.8%, 7.5 points above average) and food assistance among children (57.5%). Although its energy bill struggle rate is slightly above average at 25.6%, the cumulative burden across these indicators elevates its score.

In Georgia, 33.6% of adults live in households that are behind on rent or mortgage payments, and 13.4% report experiencing food insecurity—both rates are noticeably above the national norms. Additionally, 40.9% of adults live in households that struggle to afford daily household expenses.

Alabama and Texas round out the list, sharing struggles with high gas costs (56.3% in Alabama; 53.1% in Texas), household expenses (43.0% in Alabama; 40.7% in Texas), and food insecurity levels (both at 12.9%). What’s more, 34.7% of adults in Texas live in households that are behind on rent or mortgage payments and at risk of eviction or foreclosure within the next two months.

10 States Showing Greater Stability in Meeting Basic Household Needs

1. New Hampshire – Score: 16.73 (out of 100)
2. Minnesota – Score: 20.94
3. Wisconsin – Score: 23.99
4. North Dakota – Score: 24.70
5. Hawaii – Score: 30.26
6. Utah – Score: 31.15
7. Iowa – Score: 33.36
8. Rhode Island – Score: 33.41
9. Virginia – Score: 34.67
10. Nebraska – Score: 34.76

New Hampshire leads the list as the state where Americans are faring the best in covering essential expenses. Low eviction risk, food security, and manageable utility and gas bills contribute to its top ranking. Similarly, Minnesota and Wisconsin report below-average hardship across all six financial stress indicators.

North Dakota stands out for its low rate of food insecurity and household financial strain. Despite harsh winters, the state maintains one of the lowest energy bill delinquency rates in the country.

Hawaii, although known for its high cost of living, ranks well due to its strong food assistance programs and relatively low household expense difficulty compared to national averages.

A Closer Look at States in the National Capital Area

While Virginia ranks among the 10 states where households are struggling the least to afford basic needs, a closer look at the broader National Capital Area, including Maryland and Washington, D.C., reveals a more complex picture of financial hardship in the region.

In Virginia, several indicators fall below the national average. Just 25.4% of adults in Virginia report being behind on rent or mortgage payments and at risk of eviction or foreclosure—more than five percentage points lower than the national rate of 30.8%. Energy bill hardship (21.3%) is also below the national average of 22.8%.

Maryland, by contrast, faces above-average hardship across a couple of the ranking factors. More than 36% of adults in Maryland live in households that are behind on rent or mortgage payments and at risk of eviction, roughly six percentage points above the national rate. What’s more, 23.5% of households are facing difficulty paying their energy bills.

On many indicators, the District of Columbia reports lower hardship than the national average. However, D.C. has one of the highest rates of eviction or foreclosure risk in the country, with 36.1% of adults living in households behind on rent or mortgage payments, more than five percentage points above the national average. And nearly 41% live in households where children receive food assistance, compared to the national average rate of 38.5%.

States Struggling the Most by Category

While some states rank high overall, others face more acute challenges in specific areas, from household expenses to food insecurity. Breaking down the data by individual hardship indicators offers a clearer view of which states are hardest hit in each category.

Here are the states struggling the most to cover basic household expenses by category:

Struggling to Pay Energy Bills

1. Mississippi – 30.01%
2. Louisiana – 29.13%
3. West Virginia – 29.08%

National Average: 22.8%

Facing Eviction or Foreclosure Risk

1. Idaho – 38.59%
2. Alaska – 37.78%
3. Mississippi – 37.10%

National Average: 30.8%

Struggling to Pay Household Expenses

1. Mississippi – 44.88%
2. Alabama – 42.98%
3. Louisiana – 42.93%

National Average: 35.8%

Children Receiving Food Assistance

1. New Mexico – 62.69%
2. Vermont – 59.00%
3. West Virginia – 58.80%

National Average: 38.5%

Struggling to Afford Gas

1. California – 58.81%
2. West Virginia – 58.63%
3. Wyoming – 57.42%

National Average: 51.3%

Experiencing Food Insecurity

1. Mississippi – 14.90%
2. Louisiana – 14.82%
3. Georgia – 13.43%

National Average: 10.7%

Full Data

Explore the full state-by-state dataset in the interactive table below. You can search for the data in your home state or sort each column to see where different types of financial hardship are most severe.

Closing Thoughts

As inflation and post-pandemic financial pressures persist, this study offers a stark but necessary snapshot of the economic challenges facing households across the United States. From missed rent payments to food insecurity and unaffordable gas, millions of families continue to struggle to make ends meet. At the same time, the wide disparities across states show just how much local infrastructure, policy, and community support can impact a family’s ability to stay afloat.

This analysis aligns with United Way of the National Capital Area’s continued commitment to supporting the ALICE population—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—who earn above the federal poverty level yet cannot afford life’s essentials. These working individuals and families are often overlooked in policy decisions, but are the very backbone of our communities.

To better understand the financial realities of ALICE households in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., explore United Way NCA’s latest ALICE Report. You can also learn more about how United Way NCA is helping individuals overcome barriers to housing, financial stability, and economic opportunity on our ALICE Program page.

Together, we can build a more equitable region where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Methodology

To determine where Americans are struggling to cover the basics, we analyzed all 50 U.S. states against six hardship indicators, all sourced from the most recent 2024 data from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey. 

The six ranking factors include:

• Adults in households that were unable to pay an energy bill in full in the last 12 months (%)

• Adults in households not current on rent or mortgage where eviction or foreclosure in the next two months is likely (%)

• Adults in households where it has been somewhat or very difficult to pay for usual household expenses (%)

• Adults in households where children currently receive food assistance (%)

• Adults who changed driving behavior due to the cost of gas (%)

• Adults in households where there was either sometimes or often not enough to eat (%)

Each factor was assigned a score from 0 to 5 and then summed to create a total score out of 100 for every state, with higher scores indicating greater difficulty covering basic needs. While we analyzed data for the District of Columbia alongside all 50 states, we excluded it from the final ranking due to its small, densely urban population, which makes direct comparisons to larger, more diverse states less meaningful.