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The American affordability crisis: Competing diagnoses, divergent remedies

Finding workable solutions will require moving beyond ideological commitments to evidence-based evaluation

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    • The median home price in the US has increased from roughly three times median household income in the 1980s to nearly six times today.
    • The median home price in the US has increased from roughly three times median household income in the 1980s to nearly six times today. PHOTO: REUTERS

    Leon Hadar

    Published Thu, Jan 1, 2026 · 07:00 AM

    A REGISTERED nurse in Phoenix pays US$1,800 monthly for a one-bedroom apartment, nearly half her take-home income. Her health insurance premiums have doubled in five years, and she’s still paying off undergraduate loans a decade after graduation.

    Her situation is not exceptional.

    Across the United States, the cost of housing, healthcare and education has outpaced wage growth for decades, transforming what were once achievable milestones into formidable obstacles. The affordability debate cuts across these sectors, yet disagreement persists not only about solutions but on root causes themselves.

    Cost of livingHealthcare costsUnited States

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