But while their circumstances are similar, their views of the economy differ sharply. Mr. Weeldreyer, a Wisconsin native who lives in Denver, said the local job market was strong. To the extent that his finances aren’t where he would like them to be, he blames his own choices earlier in adulthood, not the economy more generally. He is confident in the future.

“It’s frustrating not being able to buy a house and stuff, but I guess I don’t lose sleep over it,” he said. “I guess it’ll work out.”

Ms. Pierce sees things differently. She says there are plenty of jobs where she lives in central New York State, but pay has lagged. She dreams of the day she can pay her bills the day they arrive, rather than stalling until payday.

“It’s gotten a lot harder to do the things that our parents may have done, buy the house and do all the American dream stuff,” she said. “Everything in my life seems to be getting more expensive, and my wages are the same.”

Ms. Pierce’s and Mr. Weeldreyer’s different perspectives may reflect at least in part different realities. Denver is in the midst of an economic boom. Rome, where Ms. Pierce lives, has seen a significant rebound in recent years but is still struggling compared with the country over all.

Their political views may also play a role. A registered Republican, Mr. Weeldreyer said he voted for Mr. Trump only reluctantly in 2016 and hadn’t made up his mind about how to vote in next month’s midterms. But he said the economy was “probably the one area where I would say the president is doing a good job.” Ms. Pierce is a member of the progressive Working Families Party and said she strongly opposed Mr. Trump’s agenda.