Homer Simpson has been the blueprint for the American middle class since 1989 — clock in, do your shift at the power plant, come home to a full house and a full dinner table.
But 2025 isn’t the Springfield we grew up with. Even with nuclear-reactor operators earning about $122,930 a year, on average, could Homer Simpson support his family today?
Find Out: What Class Do You Actually Belong To? The Income Breakdown Might Shock You
Read Next: 6 Safe Accounts Proven To Grow Your Money Up To 13x Faster
Homer’s Paycheck: Surprisingly Strong
For all of Homer’s workplace mishaps, his job actually pays well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nuclear-reactor operators make about $122,930 a year. That’s well above the national median household income of $83,730.
Translation: Homer is not underpaid. He’s doing better than most American households on paper. However, that doesn’t automatically guarantee a smooth ride for a family of five in 2025.
Discover More: The Living Wage a Family of 4 Needs in All 50 States
Their House Would Be a Big Monthly Bite
We don’t know where Springfield is, so let’s use national numbers. The median monthly cost for a homeowner with a mortgage is about $2,035, according to the Census Bureau.
If the Simpsons bought their home years ago (which the show implies), they’re in decent shape. But if they were buying it today? A single income, even a good one, would feel stretched fast, especially with higher interest rates.
On TV, the Simpsons’ house rarely needs more than a paint touch-up, but real homeowners aren’t so lucky. In 2025, Americans spend roughly $10,946 a year on home maintenance and repairs, according to an industry analysis by Zillow and Thumbtack.
That’s a cost the family would definitely feel on one income.
Feeding 5 People Adds Up Fast
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) tracks the cost of feeding American families, and groceries aren’t cheap right now. Depending on the plan, a family of five can easily spend around $1,000 a month on food, excluding Homer’s enormous appetite.
Even at the low end, that’s about $12,000 a year, plus utilities, gas, car insurance, school expenses and everything else that goes into keeping a busy household running.
Transportation: The Family Car Isn’t Cheap in 2025
The Simpsons’ pink sedan has survived everything from fender-benders to explosions. However, a real family car in 2025 comes with serious costs.
The average annual cost of owning and operating a new vehicle in 2025 is about $11,577, according to AAA, and even older paid-off cars still come with insurance, gas and repair bills.
For a family of five, transportation easily becomes one of the bigger line items in the monthly budget.
Healthcare: The Real Wild Card
Healthcare is where the 2025 budget really gets interesting. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that the average annual premium for employer-sponsored family coverage is $26,993.
Homer’s job likely covers a chunk of that, but deductibles and out-of-pocket costs would still land in their lap. Even routine visits to Dr. Hibbert would add up: A typical primary-care appointment in 2025 can run $150-$300 just for the visit, before labs or follow-up care.
Between Homer’s frequent Emergency Room-worthy mishaps and three kids with wildly different hobbies, the medical bills could easily pile up.
Can Homer’s Single Income Still Carry Them?
In the 1990s, Homer’s single salary made the family feel solidly middle class — one income, one house, three kids and a stay-at-home parent. In 2025, that same setup is far rarer, not because families changed, but because costs did.
Housing is pricier, groceries cost more, health insurance hits harder and even basic transportation adds thousands to the annual budget. The math is just tougher now, even for a strong income like Homer’s.
Homer’s salary is strong enough to technically carry them, but it wouldn’t feel effortless. They’d need to:
- Watch their housing costs
- Budget groceries carefully
- Brace for healthcare surprises
- Skip big splurges
His income still holds up, but the easy, cushiony single-earner lifestyle we saw in early seasons is much harder to pull off now. It’s possible, just tighter, more deliberate and with far fewer donuts.
More From GOBankingRates
- Score Big on 6 Walmart Black Friday Deals for Middle-Class Shoppers
- Trump's $2K Dividend: What Low-Income Americans Should Expect
- 5 Clever Ways Retirees Are Earning Up to $1K Per Month From Home
- 9 Low-Effort Ways to Make Passive Income (You Can Start This Week)
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Could Homer Simpson Support His Family in 2025?
