Today’s economic landscape paints a stark picture for Generation Z in their 20s, making it much more difficult to achieve what were once seen as basic life milestones compared to Baby Boomers at the same age.
According to a recent study by crypto casino BC Game, wages have surged by about 3.8 times since 1985, when most Boomers were around 25 years old. The research examined various publicly accessible resources to track shifts in financial situations since that time. However, expenses for essentials like housing, education, vehicles, childcare, and weddings have outpaced income growth during those years.
“Baby Boomers” refers to people born between 1946 and 1964, while “Zoomers” is a casual term for those born between 1997 and 2012.
The median home price, for instance, has skyrocketed from $82,800 in 1985 to a projected $403,200 by 2025/2026, almost a fivefold increase. The cost of attending college has also soared, with tuition and fees rising from $5,556 to $39,307 during the same period, nearly a sevenfold increase.
When it comes to other big-ticket items, the price of a typical used car has jumped from $2,656 to $26,918, while wedding costs have escalated from around $7,800 to $36,000. That’s an increase of about ten times for cars and five times for weddings.
In a nod to Ben Franklin’s saying “Time is money,” Boomers needed around 10,350 hours of labor to purchase a house in their 20s, whereas Zoomers are projected to spend about 13,006 hours—resulting in a gap of 2,656 hours. This trend also extends to college, with Zoomers lagging behind Boomers by about 573 hours, alongside 536 hours more for used cars, 421 hours for childcare, and 186 hours for weddings. Essentially, it appears that Zoomers are putting in significantly more labor hours just to keep up with the same lifestyle that Boomers enjoyed.
Childcare, in particular, has seen dramatic changes. Back in 1985, it cost about $1,020, but it has now ballooned by 17 times to around $17,000 for 2025/2026.
BC Game’s CEO, Ali Muhanned, noted that “Gen Z and millennial women are consistently delaying parenthood, having fewer children, or opting out of parenthood altogether due to financial constraints.” He elaborated, stating, “Housing, childcare, and groceries have become so pricey that starting a family now looks risky financially. Last year, first-time home buyers reached a historic low of 21%, highlighting how many young Americans are putting off the foundational aspects of adult life.”
