The percentage of Americans just scraping by financially is rising as wage growth slows and inflation flares, Bank of America finds.

A growing share of lower-income Americans are struggling to get by financially as their wages fail to keep up with inflation, according to a recent analysis.

Roughly 29% of lower-income households are living paycheck to paycheck, up slightly from 2024 and from 27.1% in 2023, data from the Bank of America Institute shows. The financial firm defines that as spending more than 95% of household income on necessities such as housing, gasoline, groceries, utility bills and internet service.

In 2025, nearly a quarter of all U.S. households lived paycheck to paycheck, Bank of America estimates.

  • Zorque@lemmy.worldEnglish
    111·
    3 days ago

    Ohhhh, just stop buying iPhones and avocado toast, why didn’t I think of that? It seems so simple in hindsight!

    • Pennomi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      3 days ago

      Depending on how often you buy iPhones, sure. But I think we all know it’s rent, health insurance, and rising food costs that kills most Americans.

      • Zorque@lemmy.worldEnglish
        31·
        3 days ago

        No shit? Almost like I was using a common allegory for being out of touch with actual poor people to critique that commentary “advice”.

      • BombOmOm@lemmy.worldEnglish
        21·
        3 days ago

        Agreed, that is very much a ‘it depends’. A $1000 pro max every year is opulent, a used SE every 5 years isn’t.