Media: Can you live on one income?
Here’s a news story summarizing the online meme
You’ve probably seen the meme online: An attractive, happy family from the 1950s with the headline, “Once upon a time, in the ‘50s, a family could own a home, a car and send the kids to college, all on one income. But now that one-income dream is gone.”
The idea is that, today, it is basically impossible for a married couple with children to get by on less than two full-time incomes and live a comfortable lifestyle. That is, unless you have Ballerina Farm-level money.
Putting families first: You shouldn’t need Ballerina Farm money – Deseret News
Here’s the data – since 2000, roughly 1/3 of households have zero wage earners, 1/3 have one earner, 1/3 have two wage earners, and a few have 3 or more. The proportions have been nearly constant except a slight decrease in one wage earners offset exactly by an increase in zero wage earners (not two or more). This is likely due to the large baby boom cohort retiring – and moving from the wage earner category to the zero wage earner category (as seen in the numbers).
📊 Percent of U.S. Households by Number of Wage Earners
(From Census Bureau CPS Annual Social & Economic Supplements and BLS household data)
| Year | Zero Earners | One Earner | Two Earners | 3+ Earners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ~31% | ~29% | ~34% | ~6% |
| 2005 | ~32% | ~28% | ~34% | ~6% |
| 2010 | ~35% | ~28% | ~31% | ~6% |
| 2015 | ~33% | ~27% | ~34% | ~6% |
| 2020 | ~36% | ~27% | ~31% | ~6% |
| 2025 | ~34% | ~26% | ~34% | ~6% |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau CPS ASEC household tables (2000–2025), Bureau of Labor Statistics CPS household data
🔎 Key Trends
Three or more earners (5–7%): A small but stable group, usually multi-generational households or families with adult children working.
Zero earners (30–36%): Includes retirees, disabled individuals, students, and households relying on non-wage income. This share spikes during recessions (2008–2010, 2020 pandemic).
One earner (26–30%): Often single-adult households or families with one primary breadwinner. As this decreased, the zero earner category went up.
Two earners (31–35%): The largest category, reflecting dual-income families. This proportion dipped during recessions but rebounded in recovery years.