this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2025
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These people are up to their eyeballs in debt. I wonder how this can be weaponized.
Why do you folks see wealth and immediately assume debt? Like I get debt is rising but you don't think middle class wealth still exists? Families with 300k income aren't that uncommon.
300k income is middle class? That sounds pretty rich to me...
Splitting hairs.
The median income in the US is 80k. Calling almost 4x the median income "middle class" seems a bit of a stretch...
Whatever you want to call it. The median top 20% income is 256k. 1 in 5 families.
This is a weird hill to die on.
Yeah it is. It's weird that you all have fixated on the class vs. the numbers.
But, you brought it up?
Anyways, I wish you good luck on your crusade, or whatever this is.
You're the ones screeching at 300k vs 250k by definition. As of it makes any significant difference on my original comment.
All I have said to set y'all off is that a good chunk of the country has this and isn't underwater and y'all start screeching about 250k vs 300k.
Crazy high levels of missing the forest for the trees and overly augmentative over a minor difference.
Average US household debt is $105k.
That's an absurd metric to cite as negative. You're either dishonest or don't understand what you're saying.
If the average person in the US only has 105k in debt, including their mortgage, that's a fine situation to be in financially. You're essentially saying that someone with at least 100k, more likely 350k+ in equity, and the ability to live off that equity for a year or two in cases of extreme financial stress.
That aside, 4/5ths of that debt is the home. The average person here only has 20k in debt, including their vehicle which is the majority of it.
Again debt is going up, that should be monitored and kept low, but that number ain't the cataclysmic burn you think it is. Owning most your home and having a new car payment isn't scrapping by week to week.
Over 30% of Americans have negative net worth (more debt than equity).
Some recent surveys show 67% are living paycheck to paycheck ( https://www.newsweek.com/2025-rise-americans-living-paycheck-2128753 ).
Yeah, it's worse than you think it is.
That doesn't exclude the existence of 10% having a family income over 300k a year. 20% making 250k a year.
Yes, wealth disparity is not something to celebrate
Never said it was. As usual folks are reading into my comment pointing out the reality and they, in their heads, have immediately created an entire persona in their heads thinking that I'm pointing out anything else but the dumb assumption that everyone in a nice house and car is swimming in debt.
You are out of touch if you think 300k is "not uncommon"
10%.
250k is 20%
1 in 5.
I grew up with and around these types of people. It doesn't matter how much money they have, they're image obsessed and go beyond their means whatever that limit is to look like they're outdoing their peers. These gated communities and country club types are very much "keeping up with the Joneses".
And it's really the McMansion image in the set that suggests this. Regular large or nice house, whatever, but McMansions were geared towards those sorts of people.
You've just invented a story based on your singular experience. The numbers are there.
Honestly, this entire thread is just a prime example of people refusing to look at data and just sticking to your experience in spite of the data as well as wealth disparity.
20% of families in the US clear 250k. You can easily own a nice home and have a nice truck while saving for retirement.
You're conflating income with net worth. Here's data. https://www.newyorkfed.org/microeconomics/hhdc