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Generation Compare

Compare the financial realities of Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. House prices relative to wages, tuition, technology, and living standards. Based on US Census Bureau and BLS data.

Side-by-side comparison at age 25

Metric (at age 25)	Boomers (~1970)	Gen X (~1990)	Millennials (~2007)	Gen Z (~2022)
Median annual income $54,000	$6,800	$24,300	$40,000	$54,000
Average home price $428,700	$23,000	$101,100	$233,400	$428,700
Home price to income ratio 7.9x	3.4x	4.2x	5.8x	7.9x
Public university tuition $10,740/yr	$428/yr	$2,159/yr	$7,020/yr	$10,740/yr
Typical student debt ~$37,574	Near zero	~$10,000	~$29,000	~$37,574
Retirement plan 401(k) / gig / no pension	Defined benefit pension	Transitioning to 401(k)	401(k) / gig economy	401(k) / gig / no pension
Top communication tech TikTok or 5G smartphone	Telephone	Pager or early mobile	Facebook or early iPhone	TikTok or 5G smartphone
Internet at home 5G and cloud-native	None	Dial-up just starting	Broadband standard	5G and cloud-native
Average home price Home price to income ratio	$23,000 3.4x income	$101,100 4.2x income	$233,400 5.8x income	$428,700 7.9x income

Data: US Census Bureau (income, housing), BLS (wages, CPI), NCES (tuition), Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (debt). All figures are approximate US national data at equivalent life stages. Full methodology.