On a recent Friday in September 2025, President Donald Trump sat in the Oval Office, pen in hand, preparing to sign a fresh round of executive orders. The moment, captured by photographers, seemed to encapsulate the tension and uncertainty many Americans feel as the cost—and meaning—of the American dream continues to evolve. While the image projected executive resolve, the numbers behind the scenes painted a more complicated story about what it takes to get by, let alone get ahead, in the United States today.
According to USA TODAY, the price tag to achieve what many consider the American dream has soared to an eye-watering $5 million over a lifetime. This figure comes from a September 2025 analysis by Investopedia, which calculated the costs of eight core aspirations: retiring comfortably, owning a home, raising children, having a wedding, buying new cars, affording healthcare, taking annual vacations, and even caring for pets. The breakdown is daunting: $1.6 million for retirement, nearly $1 million for homeownership, $900,000 for new cars, $876,000 for raising two kids and sending them to college, $414,000 for healthcare, $180,000 for vacations, $39,000 for pets, and $38,000 for a wedding. Add it up, and you’re looking at $5,043,323.
But here’s the kicker: the average American with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn about $2.8 million over their entire career—less than 60% of the total needed to check every box on the American dream list. As Caleb Silver, chief business editor of People Inc. and editor-in-chief of Investopedia, explained to USA TODAY, "You’re definitely seeing a rise in prices pretty much across the board, especially for things like homeownership and raising kids and sending them to college." In fact, nearly every component of the dream costs more in 2025 than it did just a year earlier.
The rising cost of living isn’t just a matter of abstract statistics. According to Metro, food prices alone have climbed 21% over the past four years, with essentials like meat, fruit, vegetables, and coffee seeing the sharpest increases. Treats such as sweets and ice cream have become less common in shopping carts, a subtle sign of tightening budgets. Meanwhile, boxed meals like Hamburger Helper—which stretch a meal further for less—have seen sales jump by 14.5% in the past year, a stark indicator of growing food insecurity.
For many, government support once helped bridge the gap. Until early 2025, about 42 million Americans relied on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. But that lifeline was dramatically cut by the Trump administration earlier this year, resulting in millions losing their benefits outright—the biggest shake-up to the program since its inception in 1939. The administration argued that SNAP discouraged people from working, a position that has drawn sharp criticism from advocates and policy experts alike.
To add another layer of complexity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced this month that it would scrap its annual survey measuring household food insecurity. The USDA stated that the report, due for release on October 22, would be its last, claiming, "The questions used to collect the data are entirely subjective and do not present an accurate picture of actual food security. The data is rife with inaccuracies slanted to create a narrative that is not representative of what is actually happening in the countryside as we are currently experiencing lower poverty rates, increasing wages, and job growth under the Trump Administration."
That explanation hasn’t satisfied critics. Bobby Kogan, senior director of Federal Budget Policy at American Progress, took to social media to voice his frustration, writing, "Trump is cancelling an annual government survey that measures hunger in America, rather than allow it to show hunger increasing under his tenure." The decision to end the survey has fueled concerns that policymakers and the public will be left in the dark about the true scope of food insecurity in the country.
President Trump has made no secret of his skepticism toward government data that contradicts his administration’s narrative. Earlier this year, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that only 73,000 jobs were created in July, Trump fired the commissioner, dismissing the numbers as "rigged." It’s a pattern that’s left some wondering whether uncomfortable truths are being swept under the rug at a time when transparency is sorely needed.
Yet, even as the traditional American dream seems increasingly out of reach for many, the very definition of success is shifting. Neil Jesani Wealth Management released a new ranking of the top states to achieve what it calls the "new American dream," using a Prosperity Index that factors in cost of living, average salary, median net worth, life expectancy, and the share of households worth more than $100,000. As CEO Neil Jesani put it, "The modern American dream is less about a white picket fence and more about stability, balance, and freedom of choice. Rising costs have shifted priorities, making financial security, manageable living expenses, and overall well-being the true markers of prosperity."
According to the Prosperity Index, Massachusetts sits atop the list with a score of 99, thanks to the highest quality of life rating and the nation’s highest average salary at $80,330. That’s despite a cost of living that’s 45.9% above the national average. New Jersey comes in third, with an average salary of $73,980 and about 63% of households boasting a net worth over $100,000. Maryland, Virginia, and Connecticut also feature prominently, each balancing relatively high incomes with varying costs of living and quality-of-life metrics. Pennsylvania, meanwhile, offers the most affordable cost of living in the Northeast at just 95.1% of the national average, though salaries there are lower at $61,920.
The Investopedia survey, cited by USA TODAY, found that Americans still cherish many of the same goals: 86% aspire to retire comfortably and afford quality healthcare, 85% dream of homeownership, and 78% want to raise a family. But as Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute noted, perhaps the bar set by reports like Investopedia’s is too high. "I’m not sure we should equate the American dream with the lifestyle enjoyed by the top 10% of income earners," Strain argued. For him, the dream is more about upward mobility—doing better year after year, and seeing one’s children surpass their parents.
Still, the numbers don’t lie. With inflation pushing up costs and government safety nets shrinking, the gap between aspiration and reality is growing wider. For many, the American dream is no longer a checklist of milestones, but a moving target—one that demands both creative financial planning and a willingness to redefine what success truly means. As Investopedia’s Caleb Silver put it, "We hope that people will read this and think about what their dream actually is, so they can put a price tag on it and then come up with real strategies to be able to earn enough money to achieve it."
In a nation built on the promise of opportunity, the pursuit of the American dream endures. But in 2025, that pursuit is more complicated, more expensive, and—perhaps—more personal than ever before.
