50 years have passed——
In 1975 USA population was 215 million.
In 1975 starter homes in cities across the USA were available for $25,000 to $50,000.
Post WW2 inflation began in the 1970’s.
So in 2025 is anybody really better off than 50 years ago when we take into account:
1. Population is now 350 million
2. Starter homes are now $250,000 to $500,000
3. National Debt is now over $37 trillion.
4. Farmland has become housing developments for the 135 million new residents of the USA.
“So in 2025 is anybody really better off than 50 years ago”
Tough question.
There are many (both economic and non economic) issues to consider.
—Life expectancy
—Home ownership percentage
—Number of vehicles per adult
—Average commute time for job
—Comparison of median housing costs to median wages
—”Happiness”—presumably measured by asking people
—Average cost to raise a child vs median wages
—Average person’s access to information/knowledge
—Crime rates in community
—Quality of public education
There are both pros and cons here....