The income of about one-third of Orange County households falls short of what they need to afford food, housing, healthcare, childcare, transportation and other basic needs, according to a study released Wednesday by United Way.
The earnings of over 79,000 out of an estimated 924,100 households in Orange County, roughly 9%, are below the federal poverty line, according to the report. That figure represents those who might not be able to afford enough food to survive from month to month. It does not factor in other expenses like rent, daycare or costs associated with having a car.
The average cost of all of those things put together is more than what as many as 302,844 households in the county bring in, according to United Way.