After a brief recession in 1920, post war economic growth exploded at an average rate of 4.2% per year. This high level of economic activity contributed to cultural changes. As wages rose and goods got cheaper, more Americans families began to own cars, telephones, and other factory made goods that were previously inaccessible to the middle class. Immigration and urbanization trends also continued and accelerated in the 1920's, leading to further growth in cities' populations. However, as labor and public health laws took effect, new city residents were not forced to live in the same level of poverty as they were before the war. Also notable was the proliferation of borrowing money to buy shares of public companies. Eventually, this phenomenon led to the Great Depression in 1929.