Report: Inland households struggle to pay bills

Nearly half of all Inland Empire households can’t afford routine household expenses, and about one-third had difficulty paying their energy bill within the past month, according to a published report.

Among the 15 largest U.S. metropolitan markets, Riverside and San Bernardino counties had the highest number of residents that reported serious financial stress, Bloomberg reported.

One in seven Inland households said there was sometimes – or often – not enough to eat at home during the previous seven days, according to the report, which was based on data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The bureau began the survey at the start of the pandemic. It includes information on poverty employment, housing and overall well-being.