Report: 42% of St. Mary households can’t afford cost of living

Forty-two percent of St. Mary Parish’s households, slightly more than the Louisiana average, cannot afford the state’s cost of living, according to a Louisiana Association of United Ways ALICE report released today.
In Louisiana, 695,719 households — 40 percent of the state’s total — are unable to afford the state’s cost of living, with conditions still lagging behind pre-recession levels. The report used 2013 data.
ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, places a spotlight on a large population of hardworking residents who work at low-paying jobs, have little or no savings, and are one emergency from falling into poverty. Twenty-one percent of Louisiana house-holds are in the ALICE category.
Two of every five house-holds in Louisiana are walking a financial tightrope and at risk of falling into financial crisis with one set back.
In St. Mary Parish, 23 percent of the population lived below the poverty line and another 19 percent are under the ALICE threshold as of 2013.
In 2010, 18 percent of St. Mary households lived in poverty and another 19 percent were under the ALICE mark. In 2007, 19 percent of households lived in poverty and 20 percent more lived below the ALICE threshold.
Communities within St. Mary Parish have varying percentages of households living below the poverty line or ALICE mark including Amelia, 41 percent; Bayou Vista, 35 percent; Berwick, 38 percent; Morgan City, 40 percent; Patterson, 36 percent; and Siracusaville, 71 percent.
The report examined the housing burden residents faced and found that 36 percent of St. Mary homeowners pay more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Forty-six percent of renters in St. Mary Parish pay over 30 percent of their income toward housing.
Researchers ranked St. Mary among the least expensive for home-based childcare for two children, an infant, and a preschooler, at $694 per month.
“This report provides the objective data that explains why so many residents are struggling to survive and the challenges they face in attempting to make ends meet,” said the report’s lead researcher, United Way ALICE Project National Director Stephanie Hoopes. “Until now, the true picture of need in local communities and states has been understated and obscured by misleading averages and outdated poverty statistics.”
Median household income in St. Mary was $37,905 compared to the state aver-age of $44,164. The parish had good housing affordability with a score of 58 with 100 best the score possible. St. Mary Parish job opportunities were listed as fair with a score of 50 and community resources were poor at a score of 54.
The ALICE Report is the most comprehensive depiction of financial need in the state to date, using data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census. The report unveils new measures, based on present-day income levels and expenses that show how many Louisiana workers struggling financially, and why.
“We all know ALICE,” said Sarah Berthelot, Louisiana Association of United Ways President and CEO. “ALICE is the hard worker, caring for our elderly and young children, fixing our cars and waiting tables. ALICE families play a critical role in keeping Louisiana’s economic engine running, but they aren’t always sure that they can put food on their own tables.”