Here's the late boomer side, which seems to be typical for my generation: my parents were average working class but had zero trouble affording a nice-enough-but-not-special home on a single salary earned by my father, with a little extra contributed by my mother. [1]
I went to university on a full grant that covered living expenses and fees - which were much smaller than they are now, so if I'd been in a position to pay my way it would have required a relatively small investment instead of a huge life-changing outlay.
I left university with no debt, in a fairly active job market.
I had a girlfriend who didn't do well enough at school to get into university from school, but paid pocket money for an access course that got her onto a degree - which she also graduated from with no debt.
Some time later my parents died with no debt, a house that had been fully paid off well before their retirement, and some savings.
Millennials today are expected to intern for nothing. Many leave college with absolutely crippling personal debt, and work insanely long hours. Unless they're 10%ers - at least - most have almost zero chance of affording a home with two salaries, never mind one.
In the UK people are literally starving and freezing to death. Some of them are working full time and still can't afford food.
In the US, people are literally starving and freezing to death, and also being bankrupted by health insurance.
That will probably do for metrics. If you need more, let me know.
[1] The property value of the house I grew up in is now trending towards £1,000,000.
I went to university on a full grant that covered living expenses and fees - which were much smaller than they are now, so if I'd been in a position to pay my way it would have required a relatively small investment instead of a huge life-changing outlay.
I left university with no debt, in a fairly active job market.
I had a girlfriend who didn't do well enough at school to get into university from school, but paid pocket money for an access course that got her onto a degree - which she also graduated from with no debt.
Some time later my parents died with no debt, a house that had been fully paid off well before their retirement, and some savings.
Millennials today are expected to intern for nothing. Many leave college with absolutely crippling personal debt, and work insanely long hours. Unless they're 10%ers - at least - most have almost zero chance of affording a home with two salaries, never mind one.
In the UK people are literally starving and freezing to death. Some of them are working full time and still can't afford food.
In the US, people are literally starving and freezing to death, and also being bankrupted by health insurance.
That will probably do for metrics. If you need more, let me know.
[1] The property value of the house I grew up in is now trending towards £1,000,000.