Middle earners in county struggling

From grocery store aisles to gas pumps, rising costs of living are putting many of Vancouver’s middle earners in a financial pressure cooker, according to new data.

A report released last week from the Washington, D.C., think tank Brookings shows that about 42 percent of Vancouver-Portland middle-income residents struggle to afford basic necessities, such as housing and food. The report classifies middle-income households as those making between $31,435 and $160,319.