any analysis of income in the US is kinda butt cheeks without geography / cost of living (aka social reproduction) brought in.

when 33-50% of what most people deposit goes right back out just so they can have somewhere behind a locked door to set their shit down at night and wash their ass… there’s enough variability in what they actually make after baseline shelter, food, healthcare, required transport, and debt servicing for the amount on the paycheck to be obscured what’s going on.