CARMEL – Putnam County may be considered as one of the most affluent communities in New York State with the median household income of $111,000 as compared to the state’s $79,500, yet a substantial portion of the county’s 93,000 residents face financial hardship each day.

The United Way of Putnam-Westchester has released its annual ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) report that details households that earn more than the federal poverty level but less than the basic cost of living for the county.

United Way put it this way: “ALICE households plus those in poverty can’t afford the essentials and live on paycheck to paycheck.”

The report notes that households move above or below the ALICE threshold as economic factors and circumstances change, which was especially true amid

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