Report: Over 45% of U.S. households could not afford necessities in 2024
6 reported
A new report from the Brookings Institution, using the latest available data from 2024, found that more than 45% of American households did not earn enough to cover basic necessities. The report also found that a $1,000 increase in the yearly cost of living would push another 3 million households past that point. Since 2024, the cost of living has continued to rise, including for gas and electricity. Brookings senior research assistant Hannah Stephens said the affordability problem has been a long-standing issue for a large portion of Americans since at least 2014. The report highlights that major expenses like housing, healthcare, and childcare are largely determined by systems outside of a family's control. One Raleigh, North Carolina resident, Siara Mims, a chiropractic technician earning about $47,000 a year, said she relies on food pantries and struggles to cover all her costs, including $1,300 rent and $384 monthly health insurance. Mims said she is considering a second job to make ends meet.
What’s reported
More than 45% of U.S. households could not afford basic necessities in 2024, according to a Brookings Institution report using 2024 data.
A $1,000 increase in yearly cost of living would send another 3 million households over that financial brink.
Since 2024, the cost of living has gone up, including for gas and electricity.
Brookings senior research assistant Hannah Stephens said the affordability problem has been a long-standing issue since at least 2014.
Major expenses like housing, healthcare, and childcare are largely determined by systems outside of a family's control, according to the report.
Siara Mims, a chiropractic technician in Raleigh, North Carolina, earns about $47,000 a year and said she relies on food pantries and struggles to pay bills, including $1,300 rent and $384 monthly health insurance.
Key figures
Siara Mims, chiropractic technician in Raleigh, North Carolina
Hannah Stephens, senior research assistant at the Brookings Institution
Stephan Bisaha, NPR reporter
Sources: NPR
