Four Tickets to the Middle Class

Eighty-five percent of the middle class say their standard of living is harder to maintain than it was a decade ago. It’s no wonder why—middle class incomes have not kept pace with the costs of the four big tickets into the middle class: college for kids, a home, health care coverage, and savings needed for retirement. Understanding what has happened to these big tickets to the American Dream is critical for policymakers seeking to build a new compact with the middle class.

JPGs of all of our infographics are available on Flickr.