{
  "id": 7263381,
  "title": "Even Americans earning more than $155,000 now call themselves ‘working class’—a sign of how far the affordability crisis has spread",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/even-americans-earning-more-than-155-000-now-call-themselves-working",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-14T06:34:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/09/14/american-salary-earnings-working-class-pew-study-affordability-crisis/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sixty percent of Americans now identify as \"working class,\" including a surprising number of high earners, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. The term, which has traditionally been associated with low-income workers and those without college degrees, is being embraced by half of college graduates, despite this group having a median income of $155,600 annually. The percentage of people identifying as working class rose from 54% in 2024, suggesting that economic struggles are affecting a broader range of Americans, not just the traditionally marginalized. The affordability crisis has deeply impacted even well-educated and high-earning individuals, as inflation erodes their paychecks and wage growth fails to keep pace. The cost of living, particularly for everyday necessities like groceries and housing, has become increasingly challenging to manage, threatening the American Dream. A study by Investopedia calculated that achieving this dream now costs $4.4 million, a figure that eclipses the lifetime earnings of most Americans. The median price of a new single-family home in early 2026 was $403,200, a dramatic rise from just a few years ago. Younger generations, especially Gen Z, are bearing the brunt of these economic pressures, bearing record levels of student debt and facing a competitive job market that is becoming even more uncertain due to artificial intelligence. Even those earning six figures report living paycheck to paycheck, with 64% of this group feeling that their high income no longer guarantees success or affluence. Financial anxiety, credit card debt, and the struggle to make ends meet are now common among this demographic, even as they maintain an outward appearance of wealth.",
  "summary": "A new Pew study found 60% of U.S. adults identify as working class, up from 54% two years ago—and half of the country's top earners say the label fits.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}