It’s Harder For Zoomers To Afford These Five Mainstays Of Life That Boomers Could When They Were Their Age

Reflecting contemporary economic realities, many of what have traditionally been considered life’s mainstays have become harder for Generation Z in their 20s to attain than they were for Boomers at that age.

Wages are around 3.8 times higher today than they were in 1985, when most Boomers were around 25 years old, according to a recent study conducted by crypto casino BC Game. The study analyzed multiple publicly available sources to compare changing financial circumstances since 1985. The cost of housing, college, cars, childcare, and weddings, however, outpaced earning power over that same time period. . .

The median price of a house rose from $82,800 in 1985 to $403,200 — nearly five times higher — in 2025/2026, according to BC Game.

The annual cost of tuition and fees for college, meanwhile, increased by nearly seven times, climbing from $5,556 in 1985 to $39,307 in 2025/2026, according to the study.

The cost of a typical used car climbed from $2,656 in 1985 to $26,918 in 2025/2026, and the cost of a wedding rose from roughly $7,800 to $36,000 over that same time period. That’s an increase of roughly ten and five times, respectively. (Read more from “It’s Harder For Zoomers To Afford These Five Mainstays Of Life That Boomers Could When They Were Their Age” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr