"Why do we feel so poor?" That's the question that launched one of the most relatable rants in the r/MiddleClassFinance subreddit — and it wasn't some vague complaint. It came with receipts.
The original poster opened with a stat that sounds almost unbelievable: "Every state in the US has a higher median income than the UK." Yet somehow, they wrote, "we feel like it's not enough."
"We're making more, most of our costs are lower, taxes are lower," they said. "How do people in the UK survive on so little when food, housing, and transportation costs more over there?"
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It's the kind of post that feels like it came from the dinner table after a long day of paying for things — groceries, childcare, student loans, and another unexpected dentist bill — and still feeling like you're behind. And then came the part that hit a little harder: "If the US is a third world country, where else is it better?"
The poster wasn't just venting. They were pointing out what looked like a contradiction. If Americans earn more and spend less — at least on paper — why does everything still feel like a financial uphill climb? They even argued that America has a leg up when it comes to early retirement, writing, "I've never heard of anyone in the middle class in other countries be able to retire in their 40s or early 50s, yet it's very possible here in America."
So, are they right?
Statistically, yes. Median household income in the U.S. was $74,580 as of the most recent census data. In the UK, it's around £34,963 ($44,400). Even the lowest-earning U.S. states like Mississippi still come out ahead in raw income.
But that's where the logic starts to fray.
One Redditor who had lived in both countries chimed in with what seemed like the missing piece: "In the UK, people make it work on less not because life is cheaper… but because the government fills in more of the gaps." Healthcare is free at the point of use. Public transit is subsidized. Childcare isn't a second rent payment. And while rent and food can be expensive, there's at least a safety net to catch people when they fall.
Over in the U.S., falling can mean falling hard. Another user, a business owner, broke it down like this: "We directly pay $45k a year for insurance that by US standards is on the ‘better' end… and we have to budget about 10k a year for medical expenses." They also had two kids attending public universities in Texas — "reasonable" by U.S. standards — but still, "it's 50k out the door to pay for it."
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They described themselves as higher earners, but said, "This is a hit. There are zero social safety nets in my state."
So yes, Americans might earn more. But they're also covering more ground alone. Income doesn't equal insulation. And that's the nuance buried under the numbers. One medical emergency, one layoff, one school bill too big to split — and suddenly, that higher income doesn't feel like it buys you much at all.
It's not that the original post was wrong — if anything, it might've understated the issue. Americans do make more. Things do cost less. But many still feel poor because, frankly, they're carrying the cost of survival without the stabilizers. When nothing is guaranteed — not health care, not housing, not education — that "higher median income" doesn't feel like wealth. It just feels like a number that doesn't tell the whole story.
And if people making more in every state still feel like they're just barely staying afloat? That probably answers the question better than any chart ever could.
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