How can you draw a "conclusion" from such data, where the mean is way far from the median? Personally, I am 77, a 49'er, living in an area in CA that's half the median home value, since a divorce. Not wealthy at all, and I gave my daughter some of my savings to help her get started in the Bay Area. (more than what I paid for my first home.)

Inflation is something else. My highest year's pay seems small these days. Naturally, homes cost way more, but people in the Bay Area always commuted long distances from Tracy and beyond without mass transit to help.

And, by the way, we USED to have a middle class. That's being systematically destroyed by the further concentration of wealth by the few, not the vast majority of us who went daily to our engineering jobs.

Let's face it, even "downsizing" takes my home equity plus another $100K or so just to move out of the woods. Renting will work only if all my equity (amortized into income) and IRA RMD's pay the rent. I check that now and then.

If Social Security is hacked, as some would love to do, I and many millions are instantly on the edge.

Since both my ex and I own homes outright (which seem to be worth a bit less than what we sold the home for) our daughter stands to inherit two homes, which she is not crazy about, since we are both somewhat in the boondocks. She advises me to spend it all, though good health (cross my fingers) says that be for a good while.

Fixing the "you can pay my fair share" situation will help millions. Way more than if I gave away all my equity and lived in a cardboard box. It would take millions of us and cities vigorously destroy those cardboard homes anyway. I've seen it in action.

But the ballroom!

Good on them for saving money as to not become a burden on society when bad things happen and bad things do happen. Insurance companies are quick to find excuses to drop elderly. Stay out of other peoples pockets and mind your own business.