5 Things the Working Class Won’t Be Able To Afford in 5 Years

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Whether you read the headlines or pay attention to the labels at the grocery store, you’re well aware that the price of just about everything has gone up recently. If you’re in the working class, you’ve likely experienced the pinch more acutely than others. You’re refining your budget with the will of a drill sergeant and the precision of a surgeon, but you’re still worried about what the future could look like.

You’re not alone in those worries. Others who’ve got their telescopes on the financial horizon predict that there are some things working-class people simply may not be able to afford within the next five years. These range from smaller, though still potent, pleasures like going to the movies to bigger concerns like homeownership or healthcare.

GOBankingRates explored some of the things that might fall out of a working-class budget within five years.

A Night at the Movies

When you were younger — even just a few years younger — going to the movies was a casual way to spend your hard-earned money on a weekend. But it’s getting increasingly expensive to get your front-row seat, especially if you’re taking a friend, let alone your family. And that’s not even considering the cost of concessions.

Even Cinemark noted that the price of a ticket can be prohibitively expensive depending on your location, as well as the time and format of the movie: “The average price of movie tickets in the U.S. is around $16.08 in 2025. But that’s just the average. In places like New York City, you might pay over $23 for a single ticket …” If movie costs get any higher — and other theatergoers get more annoying (nobody wants to see your phone or hear your commentary) — working-class folks might be better off staying home and catching new releases on streaming.

Homeownership

Buying a home used to be a benchmark of the American dream, a sign that you’d “made it.” In the past, working-class people could feel assured that they’d achieve that dream and hang their hats in a home of their own. Now, that dream feels out of reach, with the middle and working classes experiencing a crisis of unaffordability.

In a report called “Priced Out: When a Good Job Isn’t Enough,” the National Housing Conference shared that homeownership is out of reach for many Americans in most U.S. metro areas. The report, which tracked home affordability in 390 metropolitan statistical areas and the gap between 2019 and 2024, found that even high earners were struggling.

“Even traditionally high-earning professionals are losing housing access. In Seattle, dentists cannot afford to buy a typically priced home; in Asheville, civil engineers are priced out despite earning nearly $100,000,” the authors wrote.

If someone making six figures isn’t well positioned to afford a home, that augurs poorly for the working class over the next several years.

Transportation

As an attorney and founder of Mario Serralta & Associates, Mario Serralta sees a lot of accident and insurance claims. What he’s seen has him concerned about the affordability of transportation for working-class people in the near future.

“I have seen how challenging it can be for families to find a way to replace or repair a vehicle. Rental cars while repairs were being made, higher insurance premiums and high used-car prices all came at once,” he said. “For lots of working families, that reliable car isn’t optional. If these costs continue to rise, the ability to afford a reliable car becomes more difficult.”

Healthcare Costs

Considering some of the challenges his clients face after car crashes, falls or even medical negligence, Serralta is worried about working people’s ability to shoulder healthcare costs.

“Even those who have steady jobs and insurance are having a hard time paying out-of-pocket diagnostics and follow-up treatment,” he said. “If healthcare prices continue to march in the same direction, ordinary medical care could become more difficult for many families to afford — not because they don’t want treatment but because the cost grows faster than their income.”

Private Education

Inflation has hit the middle and working classes hard in many areas, including access to private schools. The demand for high-quality private education has only increased — and with that demand, many private schools are raising tuition to levels working-class families often can’t afford.

Writing for EdChoice, Martin Lueken, the organization’s director of the Fiscal Research and Education Center, observed, “Private schools can’t instantly add seats, build new classrooms or hire more teachers. As a result, families at some schools may face higher prices and limited availability, while the financial assistance from the choice program may or may not cover the new higher tuition.”

The Bottom Line

Times are tough for working-class people, and unfortunately, they don’t seem poised to get better anytime soon. All you can do is manage your money the best you can and keep working hard — hopefully, the clouds will lift.

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