![\"America\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2020-Ford-F-150-silver.jpg\")
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Commitment to Our Readers<\/p>\n
GOBankingRates’ editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services – our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines<\/a> and our products and services review methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n 20 Years Trusted by Whether you read the headlines or pay attention to the labels at the grocery store, you\u2019re well aware that the price of just about everything has gone up recently. If you\u2019re in the working class, you\u2019ve likely experienced the pinch more acutely than others. You\u2019re refining your budget<\/a> with the will of a drill sergeant and the precision of a surgeon, but you\u2019re still worried about what the future could look like.<\/p>\n You\u2019re not alone in those worries. Others who\u2019ve got their telescopes on the financial horizon predict that there are some things working-class people simply may not be able to afford within the next five years. These range from smaller, though still potent, pleasures like going to the movies to bigger concerns like homeownership or healthcare.<\/p>\n GOBankingRates explored some of the things that might fall out of a working-class budget within five years<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Night at the Movies<\/p>\n When you were younger \u2014 even just a few years younger \u2014 going to the movies was a casual way to spend your hard-earned money on a weekend. But it\u2019s getting increasingly expensive to get your front-row seat, especially if you\u2019re taking a friend, let alone your family. And that\u2019s not even considering the cost of concessions.<\/p>\n Even Cinemark noted that the price of a ticket can be prohibitively expensive depending on your location, as well as the time and format of the movie: \u201cThe average price of movie tickets in the U.S. is around $16.08 in 2025. But that\u2019s just the average. In places like New York City, you might pay over $23 for a single ticket \u2026\u201d If movie costs get any higher \u2014 and other theatergoers get more annoying (nobody wants to see your phone or hear your commentary) \u2014 working-class folks might be better off staying home and catching new releases on streaming.<\/p>\n Homeownership<\/p>\n Buying a home used to be a benchmark of the American dream, a sign that you\u2019d \u201cmade it.\u201d In the past, working-class people could feel assured that they\u2019d achieve that dream<\/a> and hang their hats in a home of their own. Now, that dream feels out of reach, with the middle and working classes experiencing a crisis of unaffordability.<\/p>\n In a report called \u201cPriced Out: When a Good Job Isn\u2019t Enough,\u201d the National Housing Conference shared that homeownership is out of reach for many Americans in most U.S. metro areas. The report, which tracked home affordability in 390 metropolitan statistical areas and the gap between 2019 and 2024, found that even high earners were struggling.<\/p>\n \u201cEven traditionally high-earning professionals are losing housing access. In Seattle, dentists cannot afford to buy a typically priced home; in Asheville, civil engineers are priced out despite earning nearly $100,000,\u201d the authors wrote.<\/p>\n If someone making six figures isn\u2019t well positioned to afford a home, that augurs poorly for the working class over the next several years.<\/p>\n Transportation<\/p>\n As an attorney and founder of Mario Serralta & Associates<\/a>, Mario Serralta sees a lot of accident and insurance claims. What he\u2019s seen has him concerned about the affordability of transportation for working-class people in the near future.<\/p>\n \u201cI have seen how challenging it can be for families to find a way to replace or repair a vehicle. Rental cars while repairs were being made, higher insurance premiums and high used-car prices all came at once,\u201d he said. \u201cFor lots of working families, that reliable car isn\u2019t optional. If these costs continue to rise, the ability to afford a reliable car becomes more difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n Healthcare Costs<\/p>\n Considering some of the challenges his clients face after car crashes, falls or even medical negligence, Serralta is worried about working people\u2019s ability to shoulder healthcare costs<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEven those who have steady jobs and insurance are having a hard time paying out-of-pocket diagnostics and follow-up treatment,\u201d he said. \u201cIf healthcare prices continue to march in the same direction, ordinary medical care could become more difficult for many families to afford \u2014 not because they don\u2019t want treatment but because the cost grows faster than their income.\u201d<\/p>\n Private Education<\/p>\n Inflation has hit the middle and working classes hard in many areas, including access to private schools. The demand for high-quality private education has only increased \u2014 and with that demand, many private schools are raising tuition to levels working-class families often can\u2019t afford.<\/p>\n Writing for EdChoice, Martin Lueken, the organization\u2019s director of the Fiscal Research and Education Center, observed, \u201cPrivate schools can\u2019t instantly add seats, build new classrooms or hire more teachers. As a result, families at some schools may face higher prices and limited availability, while the financial assistance from the choice program may or may not cover the new higher tuition.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bottom Line<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.gobankingrates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/icon-20.svg?webp=1&quality=75\"){kind=icon}
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