The American dream - on hold

"We're not wealthy at all. We're well off and successful" -- Lee Pfannmuller

Minneapolis
Household income: $275,000
Biomedical engineer; manager, state agency

College costs are a huge item for them. Gary and Lee paid $50,000 a year to put daughter Kristen through Cornell. Now they face another four years of college bills: Their second daughter, Gretchen - whose high school cost $15,000 a year - is a Cornell freshman. The couple pay around 30% of their income, or $83,000, in federal, state, and local taxes.

NEXT: Drs. Kymberly and John Selden