Affordability in America
What things cost, what people earn, and how many hours of work the gap takes. Prices are the government's own averages for September 2026; income is the 2025 Census median ($87,460) and the average hourly wage ($37.81, 2026-09).
What the median paycheck has to cover
| Cost | Per year | Share of median income | Guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home, payment with 20% down at 7.32% (tax and insurance included) | $31,836 | 36% | 28% is the lender guideline |
| Average new-car payment (Edmunds, Q3 2026) | $9,444 | 11% | 10% is the old rule of thumb |
| Average used-car payment (Edmunds, Q3 2026) | $6,984 | 8% | |
| Groceries for a family of four, moderate USDA plan (approx. $1,400/mo) | $16,800 | 19% |
A median household buying the median home at today's rate would spend 36% of gross income on the house alone; add the average new-car payment and it is 47% before food, insurance or taxes.
Groceries food at home +1.8% y/y
| Item | Now | Year ago | 2019 | Minutes of work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, dozen (grade A, large) | $2.27 | $3.49 | $1.38 | 4 |
| Milk, gallon (whole) | $4.11 | $4.13 | $3.10 | 7 |
| Bread, white, pound | $1.83 | $1.87 | $1.30 | 3 |
| Ground beef, pound (100% beef) | $6.79 | $6.32 | $3.85 | 11 |
| Chicken breast, pound (boneless) | $2.06 | $2.06 | $1.49 | 3 |
| Coffee, pound (ground roast) | $9.33 | $9.14 | — | 15 |
| Bananas, pound | $0.66 | $0.67 | $0.57 | 1 |
| Rice, white, pound | $1.12 | $1.06 | $0.80 | 2 |
| Potatoes, white, pound | $0.99 | $1.01 | $0.79 | 2 |
| Basket | $29.16 | $13.28 | 46 (2019: 28) |
BLS average prices, US city average, 2026-09. Minutes of work at the average private hourly wage ($37.81 now, $28.16 in 2019). The basket takes about the same work time as 2019 even though it costs 120% more in dollars.
Cars
| Year | Average new price | Payment | Weeks of median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $33,500 | $483 | 30.8 |
| 2019 | $37,000 | $554 | 28.0 |
| 2021 | $42,000 | $636 | 30.9 |
| 2022 | $47,000 | $717 | 32.8 |
| 2023 | $48,000 | $739 | 31.0 |
| 2024 | $48,400 | $742 | 30.3 |
| 2025 | $49,500 | $756 | 29.4 |
| 2026 | $50,562 | $787 | 30.1 |
ATP (KBB, December of each year; 2026 = September) and average new-car payment (Edmunds Q4; 2026 = Q3), rounded. Weeks of pay uses the Census median household income for the year (2026 uses 2025). New-vehicle CPI is +0.6% y/y, used -1.5%. Sources: Kelley Blue Book ATP report, Sept 2026 · Cox Automotive used inventory, Sept 2026 · Edmunds Q3 2026 financing data.
Housing: years of median income to buy the median home
Source: FRED MSPUS (quarterly median sales price, averaged by year) and Census median household income; 2026 uses the latest quarter and 2025 income. Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac 2026-10-22. Rent CPI is +2.8% y/y.
What people make, by age
| Age of householder | Median household income, 2025 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | $60,870 | $60,150 | +1.2% |
| 25–34 | $94,880 | $90,020 | +5.4% |
| 35–44 | $114,100 | $106,000 | +7.6% |
| 45–54 | $120,100 | $116,700 | +2.9% |
| 55–64 | $99,320 | $91,510 | +8.5% |
| 65 and over | $59,680 | $56,490 | +5.6% |
| 65–74 | $68,800 | $65,030 | +5.8% |
| 75 and over | $50,880 | $47,690 | +6.7% |
Household income, all sources, before tax. Source: Census, Income in the United States: 2025 (table H-10). Overall median $87,460 (up from $83,160).
| Age (full-time workers) | Weekly, all | Men | Women | ≈ Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16–19 | $682 | $704 | $621 | $35,464 |
| 20–24 | $802 | $843 | $740 | $41,704 |
| 25–34 | $1,173 | $1,228 | $1,103 | $60,996 |
| 35–44 | $1,414 | $1,536 | $1,263 | $73,528 |
| 45–54 | $1,407 | $1,563 | $1,230 | $73,164 |
| 55–64 | $1,376 | $1,545 | $1,177 | $71,552 |
| 65 and over | $1,165 | $1,278 | $1,042 | $60,580 |
Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, Q3 2026. Source: BLS usual weekly earnings, table 3.
Where do you stand?
Medians by age are household figures (Census 2025); the comparison is to the median for your age bracket.