Nearly 1 in 3 Charlottesville-area families don’t earn enough to cover basics

A new Orange Dot report finds that nearly one in three families in Charlottesville and surrounding counties—more than 22,000 working households—cannot afford basic needs such as groceries, housing and child care. The report says 34% of families with children are struggling, compared with 20% of families without children. Black and Hispanic families face especially high rates, near or above 50%, according to researchers.