America’s affordability crisis is no longer a warning sign—it’s reshaping life in some of the nation’s biggest cities.
Does it seem that you’re working hard, but never make ends meet? You’re not imagining it. A research study by the Ludwig Institute of Shared Economic Prosperity (2024) revealed some bleak facts about life in the U.S.: most Americans are now unable to afford housing, transportation, healthcare, and other necessities. The urban centers that once were the pride of cities have been growing in a way that makes them increasingly difficult to live in, with rising living costs, low salaries, and strained services.
But which cities are the hardest hit? The following are 20 cities in the U.S where life has become more difficult, described using statistics and real-life experiences about how bad the problem is.
Los Angeles, California
The city, once described as the land of dreams, is experiencing an unquenched housing crisis. A combination of rising median rent to over $3,000 and almost 42,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in 2023 paints the picture of stark inequality in the city.…