Home ownership is currently 67.8%. In 1975 it was 64.6%, which means that home ownership is (slightly) more accessible to people today than in the past.
Obviously, these statistics are averaged over the entire country. Some specific regions will behave differently, of course (like your suburb and my hometown).
As for the cost of hamburger, your dollar figure comparisons are irrelevant. I never disputed that green pieces of paper are worth less now than in 1970. However, on average wages in 1975, people spent 13.8% of their income on food. Today they only spend 9.6% and they eat out more.
> However, on average wages in 1975, people spent 13.8% of their income on food. Today they only spend 9.6% and they eat out more.
People's diets and 'food' in general are different now too though: see high fructose corn syrup and a huge increase in dietary related disease such as obesity and diabetes for example. You aren't comparing apples to apples.
Very true. Nowadays we have both access to crappy food as well as a larger variety of both fresh and ethnic foods which were not available in the US back then (e.g., avocados were uncommon when I was a kid).
I don't know where to find really good data on this, unfortunately...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeownership_in_the_United_Sta...
The average home is also 60% bigger.
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2007032701?Ope...
Obviously, these statistics are averaged over the entire country. Some specific regions will behave differently, of course (like your suburb and my hometown).
As for the cost of hamburger, your dollar figure comparisons are irrelevant. I never disputed that green pieces of paper are worth less now than in 1970. However, on average wages in 1975, people spent 13.8% of their income on food. Today they only spend 9.6% and they eat out more.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/CPIFoodAndExpenditures/Data...