So if one wanted to live like in the past it is certainly attainable on a single reasonable income... That may mean "only" having a 1700 sf house with one bathroom and one car.

I agree with the attitude here but cultural norms have shifted so much that there isn't nearly enough supply of those sorts of homes. The reality is that people typically "downsize" by moving far outside of town and commuting long distances, which isn't really a solution to the problem.