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Comment by scarface_74 | Hacker News Reader

A new college grad across all fields has a median earning of $65K - $75K (https://www.bankrate.com/loans/student-loans/average-college...). No you can’t buy a house straight out of school. But you move up in your career just like everyone else does.

From that same citation, look at the median starting salary in engineering disciplines - over $100K.

The median household income of homebuyers is around $110K. (https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/nar-finds-typical-home-buye...).

Most homebuyers are not single (https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/in-the-news/single-women-ar...)

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Not sure what it proves to say, "People who own expensive homes have high incomes". higher prices filter out potential buyers with lower incomes.

I am not doing any such thing.

$110K is not a “high income” for two college educated people. It’s actually the combined new grad income.

And because of assertive mating, most college graduates marry other college graduates.

This is the home ownership rate by age

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/07/younger-house...

"Household income" is often a joint statistic. $110K comes out to roughly 55K each. You're not making the assertions you think.

Yes I am

- the typical college grad makes $65K

- the typical homebuyer is not single.

- the typical household has two earners.

I guess I'm confused by your take then, and the evidence you use to support it. You stated "But you move up in your career just like everyone else does" from a 65-75K starting salary as a college grad, when your own figures show that the average household income is oftentimes comprised of two people making even less than that, but have reached the stage of upwards mobility to buy a house, albeit oftentimes "house-broke" and in strife to pay mortgages.

These people didn't move up, as per your assessment. Most people need to combine salaries with someone else to even have a fair chance in this system, to get any upwards mobility.

When I was single until I was 28, I didn’t even want a house. I wanted the flexibility of being able to move. In fact, I hated the maintenances of owning a single family home and as I mentioned in my first reply We downsized to a condo as soon as we could.

If you are single with no responsibilities but yourself in many major cities, you can make it off of $65K. Homeownership is not the only metric of success

People making less than that aren’t homeless and starving.

> in many major cities, you can make it off of $65K

This is certainly not true in any of the cities near me.

I bet wherever you live, people making $65K a year aren’t homeless

In my opinion there is a large gap between "not homeless" and "making it"

And the original person I replied to was in the top percentile of income according to him and considered “survival” not being able to live his current lifestyle.

What do you consider “making it” for a single person?

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