The Official Poverty Measure (OPM), still the primary federal benchmark, is deeply outdated. The Self-Sufficiency Standard has been ringing the alarm on its inadequacies for the last three decades. The OPM relies on antiquated assumptions and is harmfully low, excluding individuals and families who still struggle with food insecurity, housing cost burdens, or other challenges. Crucially, the OPM does not indicate if wages from a job are sufficient to cover a family’s basic needs—an essential benchmark for effective program and policy design. This has real effects for our communities. 

Additionally, while the recent Seattle Times article examined overall rates of affordability, it did not address glaring racial disparities. These differences are not incidental—they are the result of longstanding systemic racism and historical exclusion that continue to shape economic outcomes in Seattle today. Based on our most recent calculations, in Central Seattle, just 18% of white households lack sufficient income to meet their basic needs, compared to 40% of Black households. This gap reflects lived realities where skyrocketing housing and child care costs fall hardest on communities already struggling to stay afloat. Addressing economic insecurity in Seattle requires acknowledging and confronting these persistent racial inequities—and doing so with urgency.

The ALICE Measure, featured in the Times report, replicates a similar methodology to the Self-Sufficiency Standard—demonstrating both the need for a better measure and the importance of using a market-basket approach instead of a single cost (food) updated for inflation since the 60’s. However, the Standard and ALICE offer distinct contributions to the field. We believe the Standard continues to play a critical role in providing localized, actionable benchmarks for understanding and addressing economic insecurity.

Key Differences Between the Standard and the ALICE Measure

Granular, Up-to-Date Data
The Self-Sufficiency Standard releases data for the current year in February, reflecting the most recent costs of housing, child care, and taxes—areas that have seen significant increases. The Standard focuses on what families need to meet their basic needs, however, our hourly, monthly, and annual benchmarks are often out of reach for people in low-wage jobs.

By contrast, the ALICE measure relies on the American Community Survey release timeline, with 2023 as its most recent reference year. Some components, like child care, are based on outdated data—understating true costs in rapidly changing markets. For example, ALICE estimates child care costs in King County, Washington for an infant and a preschooler at a rate of $3,640, whereas the Standard estimates the cost for the same young children is $4,748. Given the rapidly increasing cost of child care, that two year lag of ALICE data between 2023 and 2025 is a real limitation. 

ALICE includes the cost of infants, preschoolers, and school-age children, but does not include the cost of teenagers which incur higher food costs but no child care in the calculation of the Standard.

Accurate and detailed household poverty estimates

The Self-Sufficiency Standard project produces two key outputs:

• Detailed, up-to-date cost thresholds: These are directly applicable in workforce programs, public benefit thresholds, and policy advocacy. Workforce programs use the data to set wage benchmarks, helping clients identify jobs that support their families. Community action agencies rely on it to guide families toward financial independence by aligning services with real costs.
• Household analysis using ACS data: Through the Overlooked and Undercounted series, we analyze the number of households below the Standard using ACS micro data. This allows us to document trends including disparities by race/ethnicity, family composition, and educational attainment. While we utilize the most recent data available (currently calculating 2023 1-year estimates), we acknowledge the delay of ACS-based analyses and recognize that this data is valuable for broader trends.

In contrast, ALICE approaches their household poverty count with a limited methodology, using a tabulated approach rather than examining ACS micro data. This means that ALICE uses averages instead of real samples, likely resulting in inaccurate estimations and imprecise variable counts (such as race, family composition, occupation, etc.).

Our review of ALICE benchmarks in Washington State identified some inconsistencies—such as food costs in Pacific County and rental estimates in Clark County—underscoring the importance of transparency and replicability in poverty measurement.

A Call for Collaboration
The Seattle Times article underscores the urgency of replacing the OPM with measures that better reflect modern economic realities. Instead of duplicating similar measures, we encourage aligning efforts to advocate for systemic change, whether through replacing the OPM, improving wage policies, or directing resources back into struggling communities.

Our collective goal is clear: ensuring every individual and family can meet their basic needs and achieve long-term economic security. The Self-Sufficiency Standard remains a vital tool in this effort.

We appreciate our partners putting the data to use across the United States. If you have any questions or would like additional resources to share with your stakeholders, please don’t hesitate to reach out.