The Growing Affordability Challenge in the U.S.
Recent data provide a clearer picture of nationwide affordability pressures.
While earnings have risen, they have not kept pace with the cumulative cost of living in many communities. Across the U.S., many middle-class families struggle to afford basic necessities, and national polling reflects widespread skepticism about economic mobility across age, gender, education, and income groups.
Based on recent data from the Urban Institute and Brookings, government data sources, and national public opinion polls, the charts that follow illustrate sustained pressure on household stability and perceptions of long-term opportunity.
Rising Costs & Household Strain
From 2017 to 2025, national average rent increased approximately 55%, compared to 39% growth in average weekly earnings (Indexed to 2017 = 100). At the same time, increases in consumer delinquencies, rising healthcare costs, and higher bankruptcy filings point to growing financial pressure on U.S. households.
Middle-Class Affordability
Share of Middle-Class Families that Can Afford Basic Necessities in 160 US Metro Areas⁴
Across all 160 major U.S. metropolitan areas, at least 20% of middle-class households cannot afford basic necessities, even after adjusting for local income differences. Nationally, roughly one-third struggle with housing, food, and other essential costs, and in several high-cost regions, fewer than half can meet basic living standards.
Economic Sentiment
25%
56%
66%
70%
75%+
Expect to improve their standard of living⁵
Have little or no confidence they could buy a home⁵
Worry about being able to afford healthcare⁶
Say the American Dream no longer holds true⁵
Doubt the next generation will be better off than they are⁵
¹ American Affordability Tracker, Urban Institute, Oct 2025.
² Why affordability will be a key issue in the 2026 midterm elections, Brookings Institution, Mar 2025.
³ Bankruptcy Filings Increase 10.6 Percent, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Nov 2025.
⁴ In Every Corner of the Country, the Middle Class Struggles with Affordability, Brookings Institution, Dec 2025.
⁵ Americans Lose Faith That Hard Work Leads to Economic Gains, WSJ–NORC Poll Finds, The Wall Street Journal, Sept 2025.
⁶ KFF Health Tracking Poll, Kaiser Family Foundation, Jan 2026.