Inflation-adjusted · Real purchasing power · Housing affordability ratio · Free
A median-income 30-year-old in 2026 earns $55,000 per year. In 1990 the median 30-year-old earned $28,400 — which equals $68,160 in 2026 dollars. Today's 30-year-old earns 19% less in real purchasing power than their parents did at the same age. Meanwhile the median home now costs 7.64 times the median annual income versus 2.78 times in 1990. Homes are 2.7 times harder to afford.
This calculator compares your current financial situation to the typical situation of your parents generation at the same age, adjusted for inflation and purchasing power. It uses Bureau of Labor Statistics historical wage data, US Census median income figures, and Federal Reserve housing cost data to make the comparison as accurate as possible.
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