Whatever savings you have, you still need to contend with the reality that the US has no real social safety net and it's expensive, esp since the last few years. You are always potentially one doctors visit away from bankruptcy without insurance, and the social safety programs like Medicare and social security only kick in after 65.

The truth is, an overwhelming majority of people in the US live a very precarious life financially speaking. No doubt the US as a whole is a very rich country, but to paraphrase William Gibson, the money is there, just not evenly distributed.