Americans are constantly told we're the best. The data tells a very different story. These are the statistics behind the affordability crisis.
While a $15 minimum wage is significantly higher than the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 (unchanged since 2009), it does not provide an adequate income to sustain a living wage in major metropolitan areas in the United States.
The 2025 poverty level for a single person is $15,650. The current federal minimum wage for a full-time worker equals just $15,080 per year, literally below the poverty line for a single person.
Federal minimum wage per hour, unchanged since 2009. That's 16 years without a raise.
Annual income for a full-time minimum wage worker, below the poverty line of $15,650 for a single person.
The number of hours a minimum wage earner would need to work per week just to afford the average apartment. There are only 168 hours in a week.
The dream of homeownership is slipping further out of reach for millions of Americans, while renters face crushing costs with zero wealth accumulation.
The median net worth of homeowners is $430,000 versus $10,000 for renters. Homeowners have 43 times more wealth than renters.
24.7 million renters spend more than 30% of their income on rent, the threshold where housing becomes unaffordable.
13 million renters spend more than 50% of their income on rent, leaving almost nothing for food, healthcare, or savings.
Increase in average mortgage rates from 3.94% in 2019 to 6.72% in 2024, while median income grew by less than 1%.
Increase in median home prices from $327,200 in 2019 to $419,300 in 2024, far outpacing wage growth.
Of renters say they rent because they can't afford to buy a home, not by choice.
The hourly wage renters need to earn to afford a basic two-bedroom apartment. That's nearly 3x the federal minimum wage.
What a typical homeowner will spend over a 30-year mortgage, but they build equity. A renter will spend $1.42 million and accumulate zero equity.
U.S. homeownership rate, which falls at or below average when compared to other developed countries.
Projected growth in home value over 30 years at the average appreciation rate of 4.27%. Homeowners build wealth. Renters accumulate zero.
The United States spends more on healthcare than any country in the world, and gets worse outcomes. Medical costs are the #1 cause of bankruptcy.
The U.S. has the highest per capita healthcare spend and the highest spend as a percentage of GDP of any developed country, yet has the lowest life expectancy and the highest infant mortality rate.
Of personal bankruptcy cases filed each year are the result of a medical bill.
Of Americans filing bankruptcy due to a medical bill had health insurance. Insurance isn't enough.
The poorest fifth of Americans spend 34% of their income on healthcare while the richest fifth spend just 16%.
Of Americans have skipped or postponed a medical test or treatment because they can't afford it.
Nearly half of Americans say a medical bill of $500 or more would put them into debt or bankruptcy.
The U.S. has the highest rate of mental health diagnosis in adults and the highest reported rate of emotional distress over safety, food, and housing of any developed country.
Only around a third of private mental health providers (therapists and psychiatrists) accept health insurance, putting mental healthcare out of reach for most.
In the richest country in the world, tens of millions of Americans don't have access to healthy food or can't afford it.
Of Americans find the increased cost of food to be a significant barrier to eating healthy.
Low-income Americans would have to spend 40% or more of their food budget on fruits and vegetables just to meet U.S. recommended daily requirements.
Americans do not have access to healthy food. That's more than the entire population of Canada.
Americans, 12.3% of the population, rely on food stamps to eat.
Of U.S. households (47.4 million people) report being food insecure during the year.
Of Americans with income below the poverty level were food insecure.
Average monthly cost for a family of four using the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, the government's most frugal estimate for healthy eating. That's nearly $12,000 a year.
America invests less in its children than virtually every other developed nation. The consequences are generational.
America is the worst of the developed countries in the world for the investment and support of early childhood development.
Average U.S. spending per child on early childhood development. The richest countries spend an average of $14,000 per child. That's 28x more.
The U.S. is the only major developed country that does not provide or mandate parental leave. Every other developed nation does.
Average cost of a full year of private childcare in the U.S. For many families, that's more than college tuition.
The U.S. used to boast the best education system in the world. The data tells a very different story today.
U.S. ranking in math among developed countries. We also rank 9th in reading and 16th in science.
Highest expenditure per K-12 student among OECD countries, yet the outcomes don't match the investment.
Increase in the average cost of a college education between 2000 and 2022, while wages have barely kept pace with inflation.
U.S. ranking among developed countries in average primary school teacher starting salary. The people who educate our children deserve better.
Americans can't save because there's nothing left after the basics. And the system makes it even harder for those with less.
The average American saves just 4.6% of their income. The average savings rate in major European countries is 15.3%, more than 3x higher.
The average return on a savings account in the U.S. Your money is losing value to inflation while it sits in the bank.
Lower-income Americans are often excluded from higher-yielding investment vehicles due to minimum balance requirements, meaning the people who need growth the most are locked out of the tools that create it.