Is the Middle Class Really Shrinking? What the Data Shows

Is the middle class in terminal decline? That’s the story politicians often tell. But the data shows something more hopeful ... with a really big asterisk. Yes, the middle class is shrinking — but the reason isn't what you've been told. Since 1971, most of the people who left it moved up, not down. Incomes rose in every bracket, and the price of everyday stuff collapsed. TVs now cost 97% less than they did in 2000 — and they no longer throw out your back. So, why does it feel harder to get by? Because the things a middle-class life actually depends on — a house, childcare, a college degree, a hospital visit — went the other way. Your paycheck may have doubled, but hospital care got more than three times as expensive. In San Jose, a home costs 12 times what a typical family earns. What’s causing those rising prices? That’s a heated debate amongst economists — but there are encouraging signs that we can get them under control. 📝 SCRIPT 📚 ADDITIONAL READING ✅ SOURCES AND MORE at https://kiteandkey.media/4d9DbFt The world is complicated … but the explanations don’t have to be. ⚡ New videos every Wednesday. SUBSCRIBE to Kite & Key on YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTubeKiteAndKey FOLLOW Kite & Key on your favorite social channel: https://www.facebook.com/kiteandkeymedia https://www.twitter.com/kiteandkeymedia https://www.instagram.com/kiteandkeymedia/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/kite-and-key-media/ https://www.tiktok.com/@kiteandkeymedia https://www.threads.net/@kiteandkeymedia