Weekly Wisdom | the state of americans
An Honest Assessment
A few days ago, the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index released data showing that current life satisfaction among U.S. adults is near its 2020 lows. Rasmussen Reports, similarly, just reported the lowest polling numbers of the second Trump term. What is going on? The state of the average American, across most metrics, is not yet great. And this reality is driving negative sentiment in polls and well-being indexes.
How are Americans doing?
Last week’s Weekly Wisdom provided health data on obesity, diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases in the United States. And when you factor in the health care costs relative to life expectancy, it’s clear we have a health care crisis.
The New York Times just reported that at least 18 million Americans are smoking weed up to 21 days a month. And when you consider that current marijuana strains are more potent than strains from 20 years ago, we have a real crisis.
The current national debt is approximately $38.5 trillion, which amounts to roughly $115,000 per American. Total U.S. household debt is close to $18.8 trillion, leaving the average household owing $140,000. These figures exclude most corporate and state/local debt, and only partially capture medical debt. Put succinctly, Americans are drowning in debt.
The median American household has between $8,000 and $10,000 in savings, while many households report saving less than $1,000. If a $400 emergency arose, then many households would have to use credit cards to cover the balance. These numbers show that millions of Americans are in a precarious financial state.
In 1950, just over 50% of 30-year-olds were both homeowners and married. Today, that number is a meager 12%. The breakdown of the traditional family, the rise of secularism, and overvalued real estate help explain why many millennials and Gen Zers aren’t getting married or purchasing homes.
Despite the bleak data, there are reasons for optimism: the murder rate decreased a whopping 21% from 2024, the largest single-year decline on record. The border with Mexico is effectively closed, reducing both the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs. Speaking of drugs, fentanyl overdose deaths have declined from a high of 110,000 in 2023 to 73,000 in the present day. Economically, real wages are up, and the economy has grown by over 4% in the last two quarters. Despite the poor state of the average American, there is hope. President Trump and his cabinet are delivering, but it will take time. And they’ve earned our patience and trust.
