A New Study Confirms What We Suspected About Affordability... [View all]

Urban Institute Study Finds Nearly Half of U.S. Households Struggle to Afford Essentials
A new report from the Urban Institute’s American Affordability Tracker shows that about 49% of people in American families do not have the resources to cover the true cost of living. This means that in the current economy, many households cannot afford the essentials needed to live securely in their communities.

Key Findings
49% of U.S. families cannot afford the cost of essentials such as housing, food, child care, health care, and energy.

Since 2017, earnings have grown about 43% nationwide, but home sale prices rose 81% and rents increased 54%.

The lowest-cost Silver health plan on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace has risen 77%, and child care costs have grown dramatically.

Residential electricity costs are now about $40 more per household per month than in 2017, and gas prices have risen by $1.00 per gallon since late February 2026.

Rising costs are not limited to high-cost areas — even previously low-cost regions like parts of Atlanta, Chicago, Louisville, Winston-Salem, Columbus, Nashville, western New York, south-central Wisconsin, and central Florida are seeing housing, health care, and grocery prices rise faster than in other areas.