"The middle class is shrinking" might be the assertion of the decade. Progressives and populists alike use it to justify nearly all government interventions, from tariffs to minimum-wage hikes to ...

The American middle class once defined economic security, yet today a large majority of households are stretched so thin that a single missed paycheck can trigger crisis. The shift did not happen ...

Middle-class life in the United States has always been defined less by a single number and more by a bundle of expectations: a stable home, a reliable car, some savings, and a shot at college for the ...

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. “The middle class is shrinking” might be the assertion of the decade. Progressives and populists alike use it to ...

Defining yourself within the American middle classes can be tricky. Your social class is based on more than just your salary; it depends on everything from where you live to how you live. Find Out: ...

Spoiler alert: It costs much more in 2025 to be considered “middle class” than it did in 1990. And that makes sense, given that both wages and the cost of living have increased significantly over the ...

ChatGPT started with the basics. In 1971, about 61% of American adults lived in middle-income households. By 2021, that number had dropped to 50%. That’s a massive shift in just 50 years. But the ...

“The middle class is shrinking” might be the assertion of the decade. Progressives and populists alike use it to justify nearly all government interventions, from tariffs to minimum-wage hikes to ...

In 1980 middle-class families lived in a world of Atari consoles, rotary phones and station wagons with wood paneling. The median U.S. household income was $21,020, enough to buy a modest home, a ...