Welfare people would probably be insulted today if you expected them to live in that average 1954 house -- with one tiny bathroom, no color TV, a fridge that would fit inside today's fridges, a kitchen that would fit inside today's bathrooms.
There were always wealthy people who lived in pink houses on hilltops. Today there are lots more of them. And most everyone else is way better off -- economically -- then people were in 1954.
The real problem is moral decline -- among rich and poor.
The average yearly salary was $2,500 too. Funny how that never gets included in the equation.
Yeah, I visited the house I grew up in a few years ago after decades away. I remember it being practically a mansion. Amazing how it's shrunk since.
"My parents paid $10,000 for that house. It was 1954. The average cost of a home then was $10,250."
My parents bought a NEW house outside the city limits of Memphis in 1944 at a cost of $7500. It was 3 BR, screen porch and garage.
Today it is in probably the best neighborhood of Memphis, and while the porch and garage were converted to rooms, it is much the same house, but now worth over $200,000.
I didn't read much of the article. Just the comments.
I do find it kind of funny that my house, a 50's ranch at 1200 sq ft, was built for people with larger families, while these 2500 - 3000 sq ft McMansions I see going up everywhere are for much smaller families. So much space to have to maintain, heat, chill, and clean. My "little" place was perfect for three.
Think of the money a family could save by living in a 50's house and investing those savings. They could retire very well off. (But maybe they will anyway?)
My only objection is that the new homes are so ugly, boring, uniform, and cheaply built.
My 50's home is ugly and was built as cheaply as possible, too, but some of the standard materials were better then. Some are better now. But I hear nothing but complaints from owners of the new homes about shoddy work.