In the 1980s, it was possible for a McDonald’s worker to afford a house on their salary alone due to lower housing costs and higher relative purchasing power. For example, in 1980, the average home price was around $47,200, and minimum wage workers could feasibly save for a down payment with disciplined budgeting[5].

Today, this scenario is nearly impossible. Housing costs have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated. A full-time McDonald’s worker earning $8.75/hour would gross about $13,811 annually, far below the income needed to afford even modest housing without spending more than 30% of their income on rent[2][4].

Citations: [1] Is it possible to move out parents house with McDonald’s income? https://www.reddit.com/r/McDonaldsEmployees/comments/15c54ah/is_it_possible_to_move_out_parents_house_with/ [2] Paycheck for a McDonald’s worker is very small. - Upworthy https://www.upworthy.com/heres-a-paycheck-for-a-mcdonalds-worker-heres-my-jaw-dropping-to-the-floor-ex1 [3] Mcdonald’s Real Estate: How They Really Make Their Money - https://www.wallstreetsurvivor.com/mcdonalds-beyond-the-burger/ [4] [PDF] Unaccommodating: Rental Housing Wage in Canada https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/attachments/Unaccommodating - Rental Wage in Canada.pdf [5] Could You Buy a House Working at McDonald’s in the 1980s? https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/could-you-buy-house-working-mcdonalds-1980s [6] [PDF] Salaried-Employee-Handbook-Office.pdf - McDonald’s https://www.mcdonalds.com/content/dam/sites/uk/nfl/pdf/uploads/careers/Salaried-Employee-Handbook-Office.pdf [7] How to work at McDonald’s and still become a millionaire - CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/09/how-to-work-at-mcdonalds-and-still-become-a-millionaire.html