The New Middle-Class Squeeze: Why $100K Feels Broke

For decades, earning six figures was seen as the turning point between “getting by” and “getting ahead.” But today, more Americans are discovering that $100,000, or even $200,000, no longer feels like financial security.

Between rising living costs, disappearing tax credits, health insurance subsidy cliffs, and inflation that still lingers, many millennial and Gen Z households earning well above the median income are wondering: Where is all the money going?

When you combine the math of what these families actually take home with other statistics, like dropping homeownership and lower savings rates, the picture becomes clear: outdated tax policies and benefit cliffs, combined with higher costs of living, are holding families back.