Concerns About Housing Costs and Cultural Shifts

Many Americans are growing worried about soaring housing prices, falling birth rates, and young adults facing hurdles in achieving traditional life milestones. Yet, as host Steve Deace pointed out on “The Steve Deace Show,” these issues might be mere indications of a larger problem at play.

Deace suggested that numerous cultural issues are being labeled as symptoms, while often, the real problems remain unaddressed. He pointed out that our usual response is to treat symptoms instead of tackling the underlying issues. “We offer culture therapy,” Deace stated, “but we aren’t treating the actual disease.”

A significant symptom he highlighted is the noticeable drop in the number of men and women who are married and homeowners by the age of 30. This figure has plummeted from over 50% in the 1960s to a mere 12% today.

“In 1950, half of the population was married by 30. By 1962, that number had risen to 52%. It dipped slightly to 48% in 1970, and then to 45% by 1980, yet the situation remained mostly stable through the ’80s,” Deace explained. He noted that while the ’80s excelled at addressing symptoms, they also unintentionally set the stage for deeper issues.

Though he has a fondness for Ronald Reagan, Deace criticized the “amnesty of ’86” as a pivotal point that led to contemporary immigration challenges. He connected this to a trend in the pharmaceutical industry initiated by Reagan’s signing of the Vaccine Reimbursement Act in the same year.

Now, only 12% of Americans attain marriage and homeownership by age 30. “In 2021, a $500,000 30-year fixed-rate mortgage costs around $2,100 a month, but now the average has escalated to about $3,200,” he emphasized.

However, the issues extend beyond just housing and immigration. Deace pointed out a troubling trend where women in their 40s are now more likely to marry and have children than 19-year-olds, a significant cultural shift. “Fifty years ago, a 19-year-old woman was much more likely to marry and have a child than a 42-year-old,” he noted. Furthermore, today’s 30-year-old men are statistically more likely to live with their parents than with a partner and children.

Deace characterized this situation as a “death of culture,” suggesting it reflects a deeper societal ailment.