A six figure salary doesn’t carry the same weight it once did.

There was a time when earning $100,000 a year could mean:
Owning a $200,000–$250,000 home.
Having two cars.
Raising a family.
Taking a vacation every year.
And, in some households, supporting the entire family on one income.
Today, that same $100,000 salary can look very different.
Rent can easily cost $2,000–$3,000+ a month.
A $400,000+ home can require a $80,000 down payment just to reach 20%.
Childcare can cost $15,000–$25,000 a year per child.
Student loan payments can linger for years.
And after taxes, housing, food, transportation, insurance, and everything else, saving enough to get ahead can feel like a second job.
The number on the paycheck may be the same.
The purchasing power isn’t.
That’s why comparing income across generations without comparing the cost of living tells only half the story.
A salary isn’t valuable because of the number attached to it.
It’s valuable because of what that number can actually buy.