CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A new report says that nearly half of U.S. citizens are struggling to pay for basic needs like food, housing and health care.

• 51 million U.S. households struggle to afford necessities
• 58 percent of North Carolina households are above the ALICE threshold
• Tyrrell County has the highest percentage of people below the threshold

According to the United Way ALICE Project, 51 million Americans across several states have a growing number of residents that don't earn enough to afford necessities. ALICE refers to a group of individuals that are Asset Limited, Income Constrained or Employed.

Out of a total of nearly four million households in North Carolina, the study finds that 15 percent of those households are at the poverty line, 27 percent are at the ALICE threshold and 58 percent are above the ALICE threshold.

With 1,457 households, Tyrrell County has 62 percent of its population below the ALICE threshold. In contrast, out of its 387,771 households, Wake County has only 30 percent living below the line.

To learn more about this study, click here.