The ‘upper-middle-class trap’: why $300,000 a year no longer feels like winning

A growing body of analysis argues that households earning $200,000 to $400,000 are stuck in a financial arms race, working harder for goods of declining quality. The cost of the American Dream now exceeds $5 million, while economists debate whether the middle class is truly shrinking or simply moving up.

This item was produced with AI assistance under the editorial responsibility of Haydamax OÜ.