Now that the election is behind us, it is worth revisiting one of the major themes of the 2026 campaign. That was the issue of affordability. There is an accurate way to quantify what many voters felt.

Each year, writers at Investopedia do a calculation of the true cost to achieve the “American Dream.” This year they estimated that the “American Dream” now costs $5.3 million. They come to that conclusion by calculating the cost of eight milestones: owning a home, buying new cars, raising two children and sending them to college, retiring, paying for healthcare, having a wedding, owning pets, and taking a yearly vacation.

The original concept of the “American Dream” came from writer James Truslow Adams in his book, The Epic of America. It was the fulfillment of a life that was “better and richer and fuller for everyone.”

If we assume that the writers at Investopedia have accurately calculated what amount is necessary to achieve the “American Dream,” we immediately crash into reality. They compare the $5.3 million figure to what most Americans might earn.

For example, a single wage-earner falls short. “A full-time worker with a bachelor’s degree earns a median of about $3.6 million from age 25 to 64.” That is based on a reasonable analysis of Census Bureau data. Even if we add Social Security retirement, that worker never reaches the necessary amount.

As I have mentioned in previous commentaries, Americans in our world today fall short because the value of the dollar diminishes. Thus, the cost of living goes up faster than any increase in wages and salaries. That is why the “American Dream” seems illusive today.