For a growing number of young Americans, the promise of the American Dream has become a distant mirage, overshadowed by mounting financial pressures and a political system they increasingly view with suspicion. As the nation approaches a pivotal election season, voters in their 20s and 30s are confronting economic realities that seem to push traditional milestones—like homeownership, starting a family, or landing a dream job—further out of reach with each passing year.
According to recent reporting from NPR and corroborated by reader submissions collected by Beritaja, the mood among young voters is unmistakably grim. More than 1,100 responses from across the political spectrum and nearly every U.S. state painted a picture of a generation weighed down by rising costs, ballooning debt, and stagnant wage growth. These economic anxieties, far from being isolated, have become the connective tissue of a collective disillusionment.
“Just a fraction of young voters feel confident in government institutions,” NPR noted, referencing the latest Harvard Youth Poll from spring 2025. The numbers are stark: less than 20% of Americans aged 18 to 29 trust the federal government to do the right thing most or all of the time. The sense of disconnect goes even deeper—only 16% of voters under 30 believe democracy is working well for them, according to data from the youth voter research organization CIRCLE.
This crisis of faith is not simply a matter of political preference. For many, it’s rooted in day-to-day struggles. Young respondents told Beritaja and NPR that their economic frustrations are inextricably linked to their disappointment with the political system. “Our financial struggles are exacerbating that pain,” one submission read, echoing a sentiment shared by countless others. The financial landscape they face is simply harsher than that of previous generations.
Take the housing market, for instance. Median home and rental prices have outpaced wage growth for roughly two decades, making the leap to homeownership a daunting task. The median age of a first-time homebuyer in 2024 was 38—ten years older than it was in the early 1990s, according to the National Association of Realtors. This shift isn’t just a statistic; it’s a lived reality for young people who watch their dreams of stability slip further away, year after year.
Debt, too, is a defining feature of this generation’s experience. Despite making up the largest share of the labor force and being on track to surpass older generations in educational attainment, Generation Z and millennials are burdened by higher rates of student loan and mortgage debt. This paradox—more education, yet more debt and fewer opportunities—has left many feeling “disillusioned with, even betrayed by, the very system that promised to set them up for success and stability,” as one respondent put it.
Family planning has also been reshaped by these financial pressures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the U.S. fertility rate hit a record low in 2024. Young Americans are increasingly deciding to have fewer children, or to forgo starting families altogether, as economic uncertainty makes even modest ambitions feel unattainable.
In conversations with NPR and Beritaja, young voters consistently described their goals in pragmatic terms: financial stability, a secure home, a job that pays the bills. Lavish lifestyles or luxury items barely factored into their aspirations. Yet, even these modest aims often seem out of reach. “Goals like owning a home, starting a family or pursuing a dream job feel increasingly like a luxury rather than an achievable milestone,” NPR reported, summarizing the mood of its respondents.
Many young people are haunted by a sense of falling behind their parents’ generation. Even with hard work and a college degree, they find themselves unable to match the achievements of their mothers and fathers at the same age. This generational comparison only deepens the sense of frustration and loss. As one reader shared, “I have accomplished less than my parents had by the same age.”
The political ramifications of this disillusionment are complex. While some young voters have lost faith in both major parties, others are drawn to leaders who position themselves as disruptors of the status quo. “Over time, I’ve come to see our two-party system as two wings on the same bird,” explained Sophie Howard, a 27-year-old from Davenport, Iowa, in a quote highlighted by NPR. This skepticism toward traditional party politics has led some to seek out populist-style politicians—figures who promise to shake up the system and address affordability head-on.
Liberal-leaning respondents frequently cited progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Zohran Mamdani, the Democrats’ nominee for mayor in New York City, as voices who speak to their concerns. On the conservative side, President Trump and Vice President Vance were mentioned as leaders who resonate with young people’s desire for change. Yet, the appeal of these figures often transcends party lines, with many young voters expressing admiration for anyone willing to challenge the entrenched political order.
This populist impulse is not without its complications. Some young Americans find themselves pushed to opposite poles on the ideological spectrum, while others feel stuck in the middle, unsatisfied by any of the available options. The result is a generation that, collectively, feels politically homeless—united more by disappointment than by shared ideology.
Looking ahead, the implications are profound. By 2028, Gen Z and millennials are expected to make up more than half of the U.S. electorate. Both Democrats and Republicans face a steep challenge in winning over these voters, whose experiences and frustrations cut across traditional partisan boundaries. As NPR observed, “Their responses paint a portrait of a generation of voters discouraged by what they see in Washington and who increasingly feel as if they have no political home.”
In the end, the story of young American voters in 2025 is one of hope deferred and trust eroded. They are a generation shaped by economic headwinds, persistent debt, and shifting social norms. Whether their growing dissatisfaction will translate into political action—or further retreat from the system—remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: their voices are growing louder, and the stakes for the country’s future have never felt higher.