Something I saw the other day was saying that people have in their mind $100,000 household income as the standard for living the good life.

But interestingly, this is the same figure people have been using since the 80’s. To actually have the same standard of living today as you did in the 80’s at $100k income per year, you’d have to make way more than that today. Especially depending on what state you live in.

With inflation, a $100,000 in 1980 would be $320,000 today.

So, has our idea of what it means to be well off changed so now we have a lower expectation? Or do people just fixate on $100,000 because it’s a nice round number or they heard that number as something to aspire to when they were kids?