New data released by United Way of Greenville County shows 58,000 families in the county are working but still can't consistently cover rent, food, and other basic needs. Combined with individuals living alone, the total number of struggling residents climbs to 81,000 — the second-highest level of financial hardship the county has recorded since 2010.
The figures come from United Way's 2024 nationwide ALICE study, which stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed, according to WYFF. ALICE households sit above the federal poverty line — roughly $15,000 a year for an individual and $31,000 for a family of four — but still can't afford essentials where they live. In Greenville County, a single adult needs nearly $35,000 a year to cover basic needs, while a family of four needs more than $82,000, both figures from 2024.
Meghan Barp, president and CEO of United Way of Greenville County, described the county as a prosperous place nonetheless squeezed by rising rent, food, and gas costs. The number of ALICE families in the county has grown 48% since 2010, and Barp said the organization expects that number to climb further in future data, based on early indicators. ALICE households in Greenville include teachers, first responders, caretakers, and food service workers, according to United Way officials, who say these families are routinely forced into tradeoffs between rent, groceries, and utility bills.
Rent Arrears Push Families Toward the Edge
Some Greenville residents fall behind on rent by two or three months, per the WYFF report, and that arrears can significantly raise the risk of eviction. Eviction notices, in turn, make it harder for people to escape housing instability once they're in it. United Way collects this data specifically to help streamline community assistance, connecting families with nonprofits, policymakers, and employers who can respond.
The hardship isn't evenly spread across the county. In eastern Greenville, ZIP code 29611, 53% of households fall below the ALICE threshold, compared with just 22% in Simpsonville's 29681 ZIP code, according to the Greenville Journal. The same reporting found that 70% of county households headed by single mothers with children, 57% of householders under age 25, and 52% of seniors 65 and older lived below the ALICE threshold in 2024.
A Statewide Squeeze, With Regional Roots
Greenville's 35% hardship rate is actually below South Carolina's statewide figure of 41% of households falling under the ALICE threshold in 2024, per the Post and Courier. Still, the county's own 15-year upward trend suggests the strain isn't a temporary blip tied to any single economic cycle. Much of the pressure traces back to growth itself — the county's population expanded 21% over the past decade, nearly triple the national growth rate, according to United Way of Greenville County, driving up housing demand faster than local wages could keep pace.
That imbalance shows up starkly in rental costs. An estimated 37% of renters in the county are severely cost-burdened, spending half or more of their income on shelter, while 17% of ALICE renter households statewide reported falling behind on rent in late 2023, per the same United Way data. A May 2026 Winthrop University poll found that 62% of South Carolina adults rate the state's economy as bad, with 67% calling grocery costs and 58% calling housing costs difficult or very difficult to afford — sentiment that lines up closely with the county-level numbers.
Where Families Turn for Help
United Way's 211 line serves as the organization's 24/7 assistance number, and callers provide their ZIP code to get connected with local resources. In 2023, the line logged 23,000 calls, with nearly half seeking help for immediate housing crises like rent and utility assistance. Barp said the biggest piece of advice for families who might qualify is not to wait: people should call early for assistance rather than after a crisis hits.
United Way acknowledges that many organizations doing good work in Greenville don't have the resources to help immediately, which is part of why the group frames its data collection as a way to streamline where help goes. Among its programs is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance initiative, which offers free tax preparation to working families earning $67,000 or less annually, helping them claim credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Local government has also moved on the housing side of the equation. The City of Greenville donated land and partnered with the Greenville Housing Authority to build Southernside East, a $24.5 million, 93-unit affordable senior housing complex near Unity Park slated for completion later this year. Whether projects like it can keep pace with eviction pressures and the county's continued growth remains an open question for future reporting.
