The Time Files1950-2025

Generational wealth, priced in hours.

Necessities measured in take-home pay, because nobody spends pre-tax dollars.

Silent Generationcoming of age 1950-70

In 1950, a median home cost6,424 hours of after-tax workat the average wage.

Drag the year1950

Paid at

Median homeone-time

1950

6,424 hrs

≈ 3.1 yrs of work

$7,400sticker price

Rentper month

1950

36 hrs/mo

$42/mosticker price

New carone-time

1950

1,311 hrs

$1,510sticker price

Public collegeper year

1950

113 hrs/yr

$130/yrsticker price

Health careper year

1950

71 hrs/yr

$82/yrsticker price

The long arc, charted.

Every necessity, 1950 to today, in after-tax hours of work at the average wage.

Hours of work to afford median home

After tax · avg wage · x2.8 since 1950

Data table

Year	After-tax hours
1950	6,424
1955	6,982
1960	7,129
1965	10,067
1970	9,302
1975	11,291
1980	13,110
1985	13,055
1990	16,354
1995	15,449
2000	16,184
2005	19,935
2010	15,458
2015	18,641
2020	18,258
2025	17,855

Hours of work to afford rent per month

After tax · avg wage · x1.8 since 1950

Data table

Year	After-tax hours
1950	36
1955	37
1960	43
1965	45
1970	43
1975	48
1980	49
1985	53
1990	59
1995	61
2000	58
2005	60
2010	59
2015	59
2020	60
2025	65

Hours of work to afford new car

After tax · avg wage · x1.6 since 1950

Data table

Year	After-tax hours
1950	1,311
1955	1,240
1960	1,558
1965	1,485
1970	1,550
1975	1,422
1980	1,461
1985	1,703
1990	2,129
1995	2,100
2000	2,021
2005	2,350
2010	1,951
2015	2,123
2020	2,213
2025	2,117

Hours of work to afford public college per year

After tax · avg wage · x4.4 since 1950

Data table

Year	After-tax hours
1950	113
1955	111
1960	126
1965	131
1970	157
1975	156
1980	184
1985	204
1990	254
1995	329
2000	336
2005	454
2010	497
2015	596
2020	583
2025	497

Hours of work to afford health care per year

After tax · avg wage · x9.9 since 1950

Data table

Year	After-tax hours
1950	71
1955	72
1960	87
1965	105
1970	140
1975	173
1980	223
1985	282
1990	377
1995	439
2000	464
2005	569
2010	584
2015	625
2020	697
2025	705

How we measure this

Every figure is the hours of after-tax work a thing cost: its nominal price divided by take-home pay (gross wage minus the Bottom-50% effective tax rate, the same rate used on our Tax Files). A work-year is 2,080 hours. Wages: federal minimum and BLS average hourly earnings. Prices: Census, FRED, NCES, BEA/NADA, and CMS. Full detail on Methodology and Sources.