A new analysis finds workers are spending up to three months of the year earning enough to cover only rent, groceries, and a used car, which is seven more workdays annually than in 2007.
Americans are working longer hours than ever just to maintain the same basic standard of living, according to new research from InvestorsObserver, which compared hourly earnings against the cost of three essentials (rent, groceries, and a used car) across all 50 states between 2007 and 2025.
The findings paint a sobering picture: despite wages climbing 65.6% over nearly two decades, rising from an average of $20.75 per hour in 2007 to $34.35 in 2025, the cost of essentials has outpaced those gains.
Today, the average American works 66 full eight-hour days each year just to cover rent, groceries, and save for a used car. That’s seven more workdays than in 2007. equaling roughly one extra hour of work every week, just to stay in place.
“It’s the extra hour you’re working every single week just to stand still. Families are giving up vacations, weekends, and time with their kids so they can keep a roof overhead, put food on the table, and slowly save for a used car. When a third of the year is spent just earning the basics, the American dream stops being about getting ahead and starts being about trying not to fall behind,” said Sam Borugi, senior analyst at InvestorsObserver.
The Hardest-Hit States
The burden is not distributed equally. In the ten hardest-hit states, workers now spend an average of 15.6 extra days per year covering the same three basics as in 2007, a cumulative loss of roughly 2.5 years of labor over a 40-year career.
Delaware leads the country with 25.4 additional workdays required annually, the equivalent of more than five extra weeks of work. Maryland (18.5 days), New York (18.4 days), New Jersey (16.2 days), and California (15.8 days) round out the top five.
Even high-wage states like Massachusetts and Washington are not immune. Workers there must clock more days before they can spend a single dollar on anything beyond survival.
Housing is the primary driver in many of these regions. Delaware residents alone now spend 18.2 extra workdays per year just on rent, while workers in Maryland, California, New York, and New Jersey each face more than 12 additional rent-focused days compared to 2007.
Where the Total Burden Is Greatest
Beyond year-over-year increases, some states simply demand an enormous amount of time for basics, regardless of how much things have changed since 2007.
Hawaii is the most time-expensive state in the country, with workers needing 86.6 full eight-hour days every year just to pay for a one-bedroom apartment, groceries, and savings toward a used car.
New Jersey follows at 83.6 days, with Maryland at 80.9 and Delaware at 80.3.
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California, Florida, Nevada, and Connecticut all require more than 70 workdays annually before a worker can direct a single dollar toward healthcare, debt, or discretionary spending.
“Asking people to spend nearly three months of their year just to keep a modest roof over their heads and save for a used car isn’t a lifestyle choice. When even places that haven’t seen the biggest jumps still demand this much time for the basics, it shows how the cost-of-living crisis is eating away not just at wallets, but at people’s time, energy, and sense of security,” said Borugi.
A Few Bright Spots
A small number of states have bucked the trend. Idaho leads the way, with residents now needing 4.9 fewer days per year to cover the three essentials than in 2007, including 2.7 fewer days on rent alone.
Arkansas workers save 3.8 days annually, largely due to lower relative rent costs, while South Dakota has clawed back a modest 0.2 days overall.
However, even these gains are being steadily eroded by rising grocery and vehicle costs affecting households nationwide.
A Deepening Crisis
The analysis draws on federal and industry data covering hourly wages, fair market rents, used car prices, and a fixed grocery basket adjusted for inflation and arrives at a moment when a growing share of Americans report living paycheck to paycheck.
“With many workers now spending between a quarter and a third of their year just to afford rent, food, and a used car, more Americans are no longer trading time for progress. They are trading time for the bare minimum of existence,” Borugi concluded.
