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Baumol cost disease is relevant here. Rent, education and healthcare all continue to go up. All else goes down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumol%27s_cost_disease

I think savings rate is much better suited as a primary percentage-based metric to track on to see how people are doing. For those who have low to 0 savings rates, we can then look at why that is - and most the most likely case would be high housing costs.

_Those_ people are burdened, whereas you are not (I'm assuming you are able to save).

I think that depends on the goal you’re saving towards. Mortgage down payments, college tuition, etc. aren’t that dependent on your income - saving 80% of a low income is likely worse than saving 10% of a high income.

Agree, especially since many other costs tend to be more fixed (or at least grow fairly slowly as a function of income). In this case % of income doesn't seem to be a super helpful metric.

Guessing no wife or kids?