Livable Wages, Cost of Living & Affordability in the Upstate SC

You’re working. You’re doing everything “right.” So why can’t you make it? The Upstate is growing fast but the people who live and work here are increasingly struggling to afford the communities they help build. In Episode 12 of Stand Up Upstate, hosts Anna and Michelle look at livable wages, rising costs, affordable housing and ALICE households—people who work but still can't afford the basics. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. According to the 2026 United Way. Per the ALICE report, 44% of full-time workers in South Carolina don't earn enough to afford basic expenses for one adult and one school-age child. And a $20/hour wage isn't enough in 74% of South Carolina counties. South Carolina's minimum wage remains $7.25 an hour, while MIT estimates a single adult in Greenville County needs about $23.11 an hour to cover basic expenses. To find out what it costs to live where you are or where you're moving to go to the MIT Living Wage Calculator: https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/4... We talk about housing, transportation, food, health care, utilities, insurance, internet, predatory lending and what happens when working people can no longer afford to live where they work. WHAT CAN YOU DO? VOTE. Local elections shape housing, transportation, development and quality of life. SHOW UP. Attend city and county council meetings. Ask questions. Pay attention. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALICE: United For ALICE — https://www.unitedforalice.org/ NEED HELP? Call SC 211 for connections to food, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and other resources: https://www.sc211.org/ HOUSING CRISIS OR HOMELESS? Upstate Continuum of Care: https://www.upstatecoc.org/ NOTE: Check the first comment below for a full list of resources in your county. The bottom line: People shouldn't have to leave the communities they helped build because they can no longer afford to live there. Like, subscribe and share. Help us get these important conversations out into the community. Follow us: Instagram: @wethepeoplegreenville Facebook: We the People Greenville Bluesky: wethepplgvl.bsky.social