| An unexpected bill. Food insecurity. Skipping a doctor's appointment or foregoing meds. Finding safe, affordable housing. These are just some of the burdens families face due in part to rising income inequality in America. A new poll from RWJF, NPR, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health lays out in vivid detail the burden that middle- and lower-income household members shoulder when it comes to affording the necessities of life in America. Take a look at what we found:
- Important concerns from the middle class with nearly 50% reporting serious problems paying for medical bills, dental bills, and prescription drugs.
- Food insecurity and unaffordable housing are still a major concern for 3 in 10 lower-income adults who reported serious difficulty in paying for food and nearly 1 in 5 middle-income adults that expressed trouble in finding affordable housing.
- Health care access is still out of reach for 26% of middle-income earners and 31% of lower-income adults.
- An unexpected expense of $1,000 would be a struggle to pay for more than two-thirds of lower income adults and one-third of middle-income adults.
- Despite the problems facing many middle-and lower-income Americans, the majority of adults across income levels believe the American Dream is still alive and within reach.
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