The American Dream Now Requires a Calculator, a Miracle, and a Side Hustle

The American Dream Now Requires a Calculator, a Miracle, and a Side Hustle

Let’s kill the myth once and for all—buying a home in 2025 is not just about “discipline.” It's math. Brutal, unforgiving math.

Let’s rewind to 1998. You want to raise a young family, own a starter home, and live a modest life. All-in monthly cost?

$2,636. That’s housing, power, child care, used cars, phone, food, insurance—you name it.

Annual cost: $31,632.

Median income in 1998? $38,885.

Surplus: $7,253. American Dream: possible.

Now fast-forward to 2025. Same dream. Same basic expenses.

Monthly cost? $7,368.

Annual cost? $88,416.

Median household income in 2025? Still under $75,000.

Deficit: –$13,836.

That’s before taxes.

So when someone says, “It’s just about working harder,” remind them: the math disagrees.

In 2025, you can play by every rule, skip every vacation, pack every lunch—and still come up short.

Discipline didn’t die.

The economy just stopped pretending it was fair.