>to the point where raising a family on a single income is not a realistic goal for most people.

Was this ever true? During the 1950s, (the perceived heyday of American middle class wealth) the female labor force participation rate was 35%[1], which was close half of the male labor force participation rate.

[1] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS11300002

[2] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS11300001

▲

janalsncm 2 hours ago | parent [-]

1) Based on your numbers, 65% of women were not working at that time.

2) That 35% number was likely even lower for married women.

3) Racism was still a systemic problem and was bad. Black men were excluded from the GI bill for example.

4) In spite of that, the median American household needed only 2x their salary to buy the median house. That number is 5x today, and after taxes the ratios are 2.2x then vs 6x today, when two adults are often working rather than one.

5) In short, Americans are working much harder today.

▲

gruez 21 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

>4) In spite of that, the median American household needed only 2x their salary to buy the median house. That number is 5x today, and after taxes the ratios are 2.2x then vs 6x today, when two adults are often working rather than one.

Sources for these numbers? Also, housing is only a fraction of your costs.

▲

SoftTalker an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Compare the median house in 1950 with one today.

▲

janalsncm an hour ago | parent | next [-]

It’s not hard to do. A lot of them are for sale today and will sell over asking, no contingencies.

	▲	WalterBright 26 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		A housing development nearby my home was built in the early 1960s (I think). If you look closely at the homes, they are all of two designs, made into four by mirror images. But it's pretty clear that over time the homes were remodeled, gut remodeled, extended, garages added, and so on, so they are significantly improved over the original. I've been in a couple, and the hallways are pretty narrow and everything is very cheaply built. If you want to see what they were like originally, see the old Bob Hope movie "Bachelor in Paradise", filmed at a just-built suburban community.

▲

dumberquestions an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Have people's standards for what a house constitutes gone up, or are affordable options that people would be very willing to buy less available now?

	▲	WalterBright 25 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Houses are much bigger today.