For the OP - when asking questions like this, be sure it is an apples to apples comparison:
- how many people in the household
- is the home paid off (ie there is really capital tied up providing imputed rent or some other "cheap" housing hack that is really a labor trade?)
- who is paying for health insurance (is it "free" because a spouse works, what about clever use of ACA subsidies and cost sharing?)
- are all taxes being accounted for (people often ignore income / capital gains / dividend taxes - but what if you have to manufacture income to get ACA subsidies?)
- any other free perks the person is getting, that are really a trade on labor? maybe work pays for internet and phone, maybe watching the grandkid every day includes meals
- what is the cost of living of the area
Accounting for all of the above, my household of 2 is above $30k. Could we force it? No. We have a $300k townhouse that acts as an anchor. I'd estimate cost of capital tied up into that around $1200 per month, which already puts us at $14400 for the year. Add on property taxes, association dues and home owners insurance - we're already at $24k. That's before accounting for health insurance, transportation, food or income taxes on money spent to afford those expenses. I bet we'd end up closer to $50k per year in comprehensive expenses.
Yet, I could say the home is paid off and work covers my insurance. Throw out the internet and phone costs, since work pays. Cut off the "optional" stuff I bought for mental sanity in pandemic times. Ignore income taxes, because they only apply from working. Then divide what is left by 2, since there's two of us. Then I might claim expenses under $10k/yr.
Often, there is a bias towards the latter, especially in the FIRE community. A low score can be a point of pride. IMO that confuses the picture for newer people, makes things look more extreme than they really are.