taxes, housing, insurance, food, transportation and all, it's down to bare survival IMO.
I still often think many Americans just don't get how F'ed they are in the big picture. There is so much delusional wishful thinking and denial in the US, and then that is layered with disinformation and propaganda. Most Americans really have no voice.

at least it can be

but in 2002, 50% of married households had more than $100,000 in net worth. In 2011, 56.6% of married households had more than that. Even 31% of households headed by single women had more than $100,000 in net worth.

Not everybody is just scraping by.

so if that's a part of the $100K then that really isn't saying much for a married couple. If they can't make the mortgage payments at some point and the house is underwater, there goes part of their net worth.

not if they have positive net worth. But not to worry 26.7% of married households have more than $250,000 in net worth and 12.4% have more than $500,000 in net worth.

Seriously how is this possible. The average wage in America is 43,000 a year. Can that still make is 9 out of 10 jobs below 35K?

Ten annual salaries

10000
12000
12000
13000
18000
22000
23000
24000
33000
263000

Nine out of 10 are less than $35,000.
Average is $43,000.

Heck, you could have

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
430000

And same thing. Nine people have income less than $35,000, one person makes $430,000. Average is still $43,000.

The average wage for all occupations according to the same report is $46,440.

What we have become.
So very, very sad.
And it doesn't look like it's going to get better anytime soon.

It's now the long-term

What we've become.

So very, very sad.

And it doesn't look like it's going to get better anytime soon.

Somebody says they read that you can "make" $60,000 on welfare if you live in the right state.

It is the state of Delusion!

With many inaccurate assumptions and downright lies built into the formula.

...damnit! If there IS such a state, then they best keep it a secret, because if they don't, I envision grapes-of-wrath convoys headed their way as soon as the word gets out.

Thus the batshit anti-"LIBRUL" comments from the "not being governed is great" people.

which is manageable when my husband is making about the same, but he's been unemployed for about two of the last four months and his unemployment was denied. we're barely living hand to mouth right now.

is we have zero debt, except for a low monthly mortgage.
and we don't pay property taxes, because of this red state's homestead act.
but the basic budget we planned for 8 years ago is blown, because food costs have almost doubled.
We don't have any expense habits like cigs, spend very little on clothes and stuff.
However, I can see the day we will not be able to replace our 2 cats and dog, that budget has also increased.

is registered nurse. If I were a lot younger I'd be looking at the medical field for training and work.

...though I think it's related to the problem in the OP.

Every "tax reform" for the last 50 years has pushed taxation onto working people and eased effective taxation on corporations and the very wealthy. The share of tax revenues from corporate taxes has dropped despite the nominally-high corporate tax rate -- thanks to myriad ways of lawfully avoiding them, especially for big multinationals.

As for personal income taxes, it was a big fight a few years ago to add one more bracket on income over $440,000, so that out of 7 brackets two kick in at taxable income levels above $250,000 and none at levels above a half million. Adjusting for inflation, the comparable numbers in 1955 were 24 brackets, 16 of which (two-thirds) affected income at levels above $250,000, and 11 of those were for levels over a half million.

All progressivity in the tax code has been pushed downward.On very high incomes it was eliminated under Reagan and has never been restored. And that's just talking about the distribution (which IMO is the more important factor), not even getting into what the rates actually were (much, much higher on high incomes). The steep progressivity affected financial calculations about whether it was worth it to squeeze every last penny for personal gain or better to reinvest in the company -- which includes employee pay.

That's changed: once you're up in the economic stratosphere, the extra gravy comes at a flat rate. It doesn't get more expensive for every extra ladleful. So why leave any for the people who make it?

paid for by taking on massive amounts of student loan debt?

And this seems to go hand in hand with the statistic that there are 3 job seekers for every available job but 7 job seekers for every available job that makes over $15/hr.

Two people working full time making $20,000 (more or less) a year.

I can't imagine how people make it on that. Especially with kids.

not that $35,000 a year is really poor.

Nice that they included this bullsh*t

"And once you consider how we are being taxed into oblivion, things become even more frightening."

Oh those darn old taxes, Support the Ryan budget dammit.

A single person living in many parts of Texas or similar cost of living locations, would do fine. But someone living a place lika Los Angeles or New York City with a kid or two would really be struggling and would probably fit in the category of poor. I just went on craigslist to look at the job postings in NYC, and the ones that list salary/wages do not seem to adjust for this high cost of living. Making $35,000 $40,000/yr for an entry-level job that usually requires some form of education might work in a lot of place, but that's kind ridiculous in a place like NYC... Not to mention the fact that $40k/yr was considered the going entry-level wage for skilled jobs back in the early 2000's (at least that was my impression) Amazing how it has either dropped down or at least stayed the same despite inflation.

In 2000, I was making $8.25 an hour as a temp. The starting wage in that factory was $10 an hour, plus overtime.

In late 2001, I got an entry level job making $11.30 an hour (or $23,500 a year). Then I promptly got fired for being unable to sell.

Applied for a job at the place next door to it, which was advertising for help and said they had "competitive wages". Called them up later to ask why they hadn't called me. Was told that I had put on my application that I wanted $10 an hour and they only paid $8.50.

Well they certainly were not competing with the place next door. I felt kinda lucky when I got a job that paid $10.69 an hour in August 2002. Of course, that would be $13.95 in today's dollars, and we just advertised for a similar job paying only $11.80.

.... has some good info occasionally, but it is largely manned by idiotic Libertarians that rail against a system that they largely created themselves via their beloved "deregulation".

But don't tell them that, the cognitive dissonance is very strong and they will break fingernails trying to nuance themselves out of it

Until the American workers realize there is power in joining together and bargaining they will be at the mercy of the 1% and their enforcers.

So where is the disconnect?

but I don't think they have gone down in the last 10 years or so.

i DO know that just before I retired, I was making 35 K , single, and taxes and deducts were taking 38% of my paycheck.
Cal. has income tax, so state plus federal taxes, plus workman's comp taxes, plus health insurance, plus any retirement deductions, plus Soc. Sec. and Medicare taxes.
It was a lot.

I was taking home about $2500 a month and didn't pay hardly any federal income tax, would actually get more than I had withheld back due to EIC (Earned Income Credit).

I live pretty cheap though, all my bills every month are $1200 (mortgage, utilities, insurances, transportation, gas, phone, etc). So that would leave me $1300 a month for food, clothes, entertainment, savings, etc. I make more now but I still live the same way I did back then. I learned to live pretty frugal as an E-2 in the military taking home $750 a month and it has stuck with me all these years.

I do live in a rural area though, decent housing can be had for $50,000-$100,000. My house was $90,000 on one acre of land and the payment is $560 a month now with taxes and insurance included. I wouldn't be able to live as good in the nearest large city where a comparable house would be $150,000+ and the property taxes would be double or triple.

We chose moving back here for that reason.
Down here, entry level police position is 8.50 an hour.
10-12 an hour is considered good pay.
Interestingly, you can buy a house cheaper than renting one.
I have done that twice, including present home.
Rental houses are very hard to find, apts a bit less so.