About Harder To Earn

Harder To Earn is a data-driven inflation tracker that reveals how the purchasing power of the American household has changed since 1984. Using official data from FRED and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we compare the cost of 16 everyday items — from eggs and gas to college tuition and housing — against median household income. Every price is converted into labor hours: how long you'd have to work to afford it then vs. now.