States of Affordability: Where and Why U.S. Households Struggle to Make Ends Meet

This Brookings Institution series uses American Community Survey data to map household affordability at the state and county level, finding that nearly half of all U.S. households could not cover basic necessities in 2024. The crisis is not concentrated in one region or political leaning — it reflects stagnant wages, rising costs, and the expiration of pandemic-era supports, and hits Black, Latino, and single-parent households hardest. For NC funders and advocates, it provides a powerful national backdrop that contextualizes why benefits access matters and where the pressure on families is most acute.