It sounds like to me, the people back then in those days were living a life of content and prosperity, even amongst the poorer classes, and minorities. (You'll notice racial minorities back then were more united and had greater willpower and drive to succeed because they had to stick together due to segregation and wanted to prove themselves to the white majority)
However, just because they all had houses and nice cute families, didn't mean that they were rich. House prices were a lot lower. Same with utility. A lot of homes back then had gas stoves, and gas bills. They had different utilities that lasted decades before needing repairs or replacement. Furniture back then was more resilient too. Cars got more mileage. Gas prices were almost nothing. 10 cents for a coke, or Pepsi. A dollar for a beer. 30 cents for a cheeseburger. 2-3 dollars for a large pizza to feed the whole family.
People were more content and happy due to their marital and family lives, and the fact they all owned their own homes, and fathers were pleased with their sons for growing up wanting to be just like them, and playing sports in school or wanting to join the army. Daughters were taught about decency, and were expected to marry successful men that would take care of them and their children. They would become cheerleaders in school, dancers, soccer players, and softball players. People could afford to travel more if they had a camper, an RV, or a good running vehicle. Groceries were cheaper. Taxes were higher on rich people. Utility bills were cheaper. Houses were actually affordable back then, and may only take five years at the minimum or ten years max to pay off. People rarely rented back then. If you were homeless and on the street, you could work your way or earn your way off the street within a year, and have a house within the year. Now? That is impossible. Becoming homeless is something nobody should have to go through. The homeless rabbit hole has grown too deep. Lot harder to get out nowadays then it was back then.
Shoot, back in the Great Depression era, even then, people STILL had affordable housing, and running water and electricity! People still had happy family lives because the spouses would rely on each other like a team instead of arguing and bickering over everything and divorcing like they do nowadays. 50 percent divorce rate. Come on.
You were better off being poor in the Great Depression, then poor in the modern era.
Homeless people in the Great Depression would just become hobos and take a random train to a random new location in a completely different state. That is how homeless people were able to afford to travel. Can't find a job in your new city? No problem, just hop on another freight train and watch out for inspectors. That is illegal nowadays. Can't travel if you are poor, because you'll get fined or go to jail if you are caught as a hobo.