and so what was the median income a generation ago?

 

nor you, perhaps...

if you're only seeing people driving 20K cars, and i'm seeing people driving 70K cars, the same anlology applies to you too.

 

 

I don't ONLY see $20k cars, but I see a MUCH higher proportion of $20k cars than $70k ones.

 

^ opposite for me.

 

Gotta call on that.

 

PLYRS3: Not certain about one generation ago, but my old man says circa 20-22k. I'll bet that's close if not high for AVERAGE income. And, the point is .............?

 

When I started working in 1970, my income was $15,000/year. That was a healthy income at that time, but today it would be impossible to live on.

 

You are missing the point. The comparisson isn't looking at the income or net worth of current 30 year olds versus 30 year olds in 1970. If it was, it would require conversion to present value before you could do an apples to apples comparrison. For example, if the net worth of the last generation of 30 - 40 year olds was $10,000 per person in 1960 dollars, I would estimate that is like having a net worth of over $250,000 in today's dollars.

The comparisson under discussion is the width of the gap 10 years ago versus today.

 

The 31 cent gasoline of 1960s supposedly would be $2.66 in today's dollars (CNN yesterday).