Living trust vs a will

Is a living trust better than a will for an average middle class person whose assets consist mostly of a home and retirement accounts?

They are very different. A will says who gets what when you die. A living trust sets up an account for someone that goes into affect under various conditions, person turns 21, graduates college, etc... it can also be used to dole out payments instead of a lump sum. Such as if someone dies, instead of giving their children everything at once, it can be set up to pay out a certain amount each month.