Essential Minnesota podcast: Why being middle class in Minnesota feels harder than ever

Essential Minnesota is a weekly podcast from the Minnesota Star Tribune where reporters go beyond the headlines. No AI, no spin, just real journalists with real access to the stories that matter most to Minnesotans. We’re the biggest newsroom in the upper Midwest and deep reporting on the ground is the thing we do the best. What does it take to live a middle-class life in Minnesota today? And why does financial security feel increasingly difficult to achieve? Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Emma Nelson spoke with dozens of middle-class Minnesotans about the pressures they’re facing as the cost of living rises. Their candid conversations reveal something surprising: Their biggest concerns aren’t always about what they can afford today, but what their financial futures might hold. In this episode of Essential Minnesota, hosted by Melissa Townsend, Nelson explores what she learned from those conversations, how Minnesotans are navigating affordability challenges and what their experiences reveal about the changing meaning of middle-class life.