Though Many Americans Live Paycheck To Paycheck, Some Posts ...

English Español

Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help.

More Info

I would like to contribute

One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now Facebook posts stated on April 28, 2022 in a video on Facebook: “We have 76% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, meaning they are one paycheck away from poverty.”

• Economy
• Income
• Facebook posts

The cost of everyday goods like rent, groceries and cars have outpaced median wage growth. (Associated Press).

By Madison Czopek May 16, 2022

If Your Time is short

• Different surveys yield different figures, but we found no recent data putting the percentage of Americans living paycheck to paycheck as high as 76%. 

• Data from 2020 through 2022 found that between 50% and 63% of Americans report living paycheck to paycheck.

• But there is no clear definition for the phrase "paycheck to paycheck," so people should be skeptical of statistics based on the concept, one economist said.

See the sources for this fact-check

Faced with increasing prices for groceries and other necessities due to rising inflation, Americans are paying careful attention to their bank accounts. 

And while some may not have much financial security, a social media post paints things as more dire than they are.

"Most Americans’ average income is $3,200 per pay period, per paycheck. $3,200 a month," said a woman in a TikTok video that was shared to Facebook on April 28. "So we have 76% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, meaning they are one paycheck away from poverty." A text overlay on the video also claimed that "76% of Americans are one paycheck from poverty." 

The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

Many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, meaning the money they make each pay period is used on necessary expenses such as rent, groceries or health care without additional savings. But the video on Facebook inflates the most recent available data.

The video itself gives numbers for income that are well above the poverty line. The federal poverty line in 2022, which is used to determine eligibility for certain federal programs and benefits is $13,590 for a single individual or $27,750 for a family of four. A person making $3,200 a month would have an annual income of $38,400 — well above the federal poverty line for a single individual. That income would only be below the federal poverty guideline if it were supporting a household of seven. The median household income in the U.S. is $64,994 per year, and the average income is $91,547 annually, according to 2020 census data. Based on those values, the claim that the average American earns $3,200 per month is incorrect.

It appears the "paycheck to paycheck" claim from the video might come from a 2013 survey released by Bankrate.com, a personal finance website. That survey found that 76% of Americans were living paycheck to paycheck with little or no money saved for emergencies, according to CNN Money. 

PolitiFact found more current statistics that report a smaller number — but the meaning of "paycheck to paycheck" can also depend on the survey.

A January survey conducted by MagnifyMoney, a website about personal finance, found that 50% of Americans say they live paycheck to paycheck and have no money left after all their expenses are paid. An additional 15% of Americans say it varies.

An October 2020 survey conducted by Highland Solutions, a digital product consultant, found that 63% of Americans said they had been living paycheck to paycheck since the onset of the pandemic. 

In December 2021, PYMNTS and LendingClub reported that 61% of American consumers were living paycheck to paycheck, which was an increase of 7% since May 2021. In that report, those living paycheck to paycheck were further divided into two categories: 39% reported they were able to pay their bills easily, while 22% said they struggled to cover their expenses each month.

Gary Burtless, an economist and senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, cautioned that the phrase "living paycheck to paycheck" has no precise definition. For example, people can report they live "paycheck to paycheck" even if they’re making high salaries, depending on how responsibly they manage their finances and what they’ve deemed as necessary expenses.

"I would be skeptical of statistics that are based on this concept, unless there is a very clear definition with a precise link to hard facts about the relationship between a family’s monthly income sources and its basic consumption needs," he said.

Burtless pointed to the December 2021 survey that found 42% of people making more than $100,000 a year reported living paycheck to paycheck. With that in mind, he said he was "reasonably confident that a sizeable percentage of folks ‘living paycheck to paycheck’ own the home they live in, have accumulated some savings in a retirement plan, and live fairly comfortable lives compared with that of their grandparents’ generation."

As for the question of whether living paycheck to paycheck can be accurately summarized as being "one paycheck away from poverty," Burtless said that’s complicated.

If, for example, a household relies solely or overwhelmingly on the after-tax income of one breadwinner who quits or is dismissed from their job for cause, that household may indeed be just one paycheck away from poverty, he said. 

In most states, a person who quits or is fired from a job for cause is ineligible for unemployment insurance benefits. 

Burtless said in that situation, many families could be eligible for other assistance such as "food stamps, Medicaid insurance, and perhaps a modest allotment of cash public assistance, but a sizable percentage will find the combined income from these programs will leave the family with a below-poverty-line income."

People who lose their jobs in a typical layoff are often entitled to up to six months of unemployment insurance that can help keep a person out of poverty, Burtless said. And many households have an additional breadwinner who can help keep a family out of poverty. 

Our ruling

A video shared on Facebook claimed that "76% of Americans (are) living paycheck to paycheck, meaning they are one paycheck away from poverty."

Different surveys yield different figures, but PolitiFact found no recent data that put the figure as high as 76%. It’s possible the TikTok user pulled the statistic from a 2013 survey. More recent data shows that somewhere between 50% to 63% of Americans report living "paycheck to paycheck," but there is no clear cut definition for that phrase, which makes the concept difficult to quantify. 

We rate this claim Mostly False.

Read About Our Process

The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter

Facebook post, April 28, 2022

TikTok post, April 28, 2022

Email interview with Gary Burtless, an economist and senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, May 12, 2022

Email exchange with Jennifer Romich, director of the West Coast Poverty Center and a professor of social work at the University of Washington, May 12, 2022

CNN Money, "76% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck," June 24, 2013

CNBC, "63% of Americans have been living paycheck to paycheck since Covid hit," Dec. 11, 2020

CNBC, "Despite rising wages, 61% of Americans are still living paycheck to paycheck, report finds," Feb. 17, 2022

CNBC, "The government shutdown spotlights a bigger issue: 78% of US workers live paycheck to paycheck," Jan. 9, 2019

Grow.acorns.com, "50% of working Americans say they live paycheck to paycheck, including 31% of those making $100,000 or more," March 1, 2022

Magnify Money, "Half of Americans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck," Feb. 22, 2022

Consumer Affairs, "Magnify Money," accessed May 12, 2022

Highland Solutions, "Survey Reveals Spending Habits During COVID-19," Nov. 17, 2020

PYMNTS.com and LendingClub, "The New Reality Check: The Paycheck-To-Paycheck Report," February 2022

United States Census Bureau, "S1901  Income in the past 12 Months (In 2020 Inflation-adjusted dollars)," accessed May 16, 2022

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, "HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2022," accessed May 16, 2022

United States Census Bureau, "S2501 Occupancy Characteristics," accessed May 16, 2022

Social Media stated on November 20, 2025 in social media posts: The Trump administration removed nursing from the list of professional degree programs, affecting aspiring nurses’ student loan access. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated on November 17, 2025 in remarks at George Washington University: “We’re not cutting science. We’re not cutting research.” TikTok posts stated on November 15, 2025 in a post on TikTok: Video shows President Donald Trump patting President Bill Clinton’s crotch. X posts stated on September 23, 2025 in posts on X: “Erika Kirk is banned from Romania because her Evangelical group was accused of trafficking children out of Romanian villages.” Donald Trump stated on September 22, 2025 in a press conference: “There's no downside” to avoiding Tylenol or acetaminophen use while pregnant. Sean Hannity stated on September 17, 2025 in an episode of "Hannity": There was not “a single, prominent conservative voice in the country that even remotely wanted or hoped or was pushing to get Jimmy Kimmel taken off the air.” Benjamin Netanyahu stated on July 27, 2025 in remarks: “There is no starvation in Gaza.” TikTok posts stated on July 19, 2025 in a post on TikTok: “The White House just announced that Trump only has four days left” because of his chronic venous insufficiency. Social Media stated on July 5, 2025 in posts on social media: The Rainmaker Technology Corp.’s cloud seeding caused the July 4 flooding in Texas. Social Media stated on June 16, 2025 in social media posts: “Governor Tim Walz has DELETED every post he made praising Minnesota (assassin) Vance Boelter.” Mike Lee stated on June 15, 2025 in a post on X: The suspect in the Minnesota lawmakers’ shootings was driven by “Marxist” ideology. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated on May 14, 2025 in Senate testimony: It’s “all true” that the measles vaccine wanes quickly, was never fully safety tested and contains fetal debris. Alex Jones stated on May 11, 2025 in en una publicación en X: Un vídeo muestra al presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron, al primer ministro del Reino Unido, Keir Starmer, y al canciller alemán, Friedrich Merz, con una bolsa de cocaína tras visitar al presidente ucraniano, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Alex Jones stated on May 11, 2025 in a post on X: A video shows French President Emmanuel Macron, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Freidrich Merz with a bag of cocaine after visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. X posts stated on May 8, 2025 in a post on X: Headline said, “Pope Leo XIV was a founding member of the 2020 anarchist Portland Autonomous Zone known as CHAZ.” Clear Any Rating True Mostly True Half True Mostly False False Pants on Fire Full Flop Half Flip No Flip Any Speaker Any Date Range Last 3 Months Last 6 Months Last 12 Months 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Any Category

• Social Media stated on December 15, 2025 in in social media posts: Brown University student Mustapha Karbouch was a suspect in school shooting.
• X posts stated on December 12, 2025 in an X post: Images from Jeffrey Epstein “archives” show President Donald Trump and Epstein with young women.
• Laura Loomer stated on December 15, 2025 in an X post: Image shows Rob Reiner tweeted in 2023 that he would stop posting until “Trump goes to prison.”
• Elise Stefanik stated on November 7, 2025 in a television interview: Gov. Kathy Hochul has raised taxes.
• Donald Trump stated on December 9, 2025 in public events: The U.S. has received promises of investments totaling $18 trillion to $22 trillion since January.
• Tim Walz stated on November 30, 2025 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press": “I take responsibility for putting people in jail” in Minnesota fraud scandal.
• Donald Trump stated on December 1, 2025 in una publicación en Truth Social: Video muestra noticia de “última hora” en el que el presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro se “rindió públicamente” ante el presidente Donald Trump.
• Donald Trump stated on December 2, 2025 in a Truth Social post: Any pardon signed with an autopen is now "fully and completely terminated, and is of no legal effect."
• Facebook posts stated on December 1, 2025 in a Facebook post: A new North Carolina law “prohibits the use of wireless communication devices while driving.”
• Donald Trump stated on December 1, 2025 in a Truth Social post: Video shows “breaking” news that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro "publicly surrendered" to President Donald Trump.

Load more

In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.

Sign me up