What It Takes to Be Rich—Where You Live
Whether you feel wealthy depends on a lot more than your income
Whether you're rich obviously depends on how much money you have—but also on where you live and how many people your household income supports. We crunched some numbers from the Census Bureau to reveal what it takes to be a top earner in 40 of the largest metro areas. (View our methodology.) And since people define "rich" differently, we calculated average incomes for the top 20 percent of households, and the top 5 percent, in each city. Finally, we estimated what would constitute a "rich" income for a couple with no kids, and for a family of four, in each scenario. Here's what it takes to be wealthy—and very wealthy—across America:
| Top 20 percent of households | Top 5 percent of households | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City/Metro area | Average household income | "Rich" couple, no kids | "Rich" family of 4 | Average household income | "Rich" couple, no kids | "Rich" family of 4 | |
| Albuquerque, NM | $146,554 | $115,397 | $230,794 | $245,723 | $193,483 | $386,965 | |
| Atlanta, GA | $191,386 | $150,698 | $301,395 | $340,695 | $268,264 | $536,528 | |
| Austin, TX | $184,131 | $144,985 | $289,970 | $318,173 | $250,530 | $501,060 | |
| Baltimore, MD | $201,156 | $158,391 | $316,781 | $341,516 | $268,910 | $537,820 | |
| Boston, MA | $225,726 | $177,737 | $355,474 | $402,099 | $316,613 | $633,227 | |
| Charlotte, NC | $181,381 | $142,820 | $285,639 | $319,692 | $251,726 | $503,452 | |
| Chicago, IL | $200,800 | $158,110 | $316,220 | $367,200 | $289,134 | $578,268 | |
| Cleveland, OH | $157,682 | $124,159 | $248,318 | $278,287 | $219,124 | $438,247 | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $160,895 | $126,689 | $253,378 | $263,489 | $207,472 | $414,943 | |
| Columbus, OH | $164,162 | $129,261 | $258,523 | $278,996 | $219,682 | $439,364 | |
| Dallas, TX | $189,245 | $149,012 | $298,024 | $339,527 | $267,344 | $534,688 | |
| Denver, CO | $187,582 | $147,702 | $295,405 | $330,176 | $259,981 | $519,962 | |
| Detroit, MI | $168,245 | $132,476 | $264,953 | $285,809 | $225,046 | $450,093 | |
| El Paso, TX | $126,928 | $99,943 | $199,887 | $222,454 | $175,161 | $350,321 | |
| Fresno, CA | $153,601 | $120,946 | $241,891 | $260,793 | $205,349 | $410,698 | |
| Honolulu, HI | $184,787 | $145,502 | $291,003 | $298,691 | $235,190 | $470,380 | |
| Houston, TX | $195,353 | $153,821 | $307,643 | $350,665 | $276,114 | $552,228 | |
| Indianapolis, IN | $170,670 | $134,386 | $268,772 | $304,005 | $239,374 | $478,748 | |
| Jacksonville, FL | $167,859 | $132,172 | $264,345 | $304,955 | $240,122 | $480,244 | |
| Kansas City, KS | $164,870 | $129,819 | $259,638 | $278,511 | $219,300 | $438,600 | |
| Las Vegas, NV | $173,144 | $136,334 | $272,668 | $305,256 | $240,359 | $480,718 | |
| Los Angeles, CA | $216,567 | $170,525 | $341,050 | $401,315 | $315,996 | $631,992 | |
| Louisville, KY | $150,710 | $118,669 | $237,339 | $269,433 | $212,152 | $424,304 | |
| Memphis, TN | $165,387 | $130,226 | $260,452 | $305,545 | $240,587 | $481,173 | |
| Miami, FL | $187,243 | $147,435 | $294,871 | $355,299 | $279,763 | $559,526 | |
| Milwaukee, WI | $165,467 | $130,289 | $260,578 | $288,831 | $227,426 | $454,852 | |
| Minneapolis, MN | $192,903 | $151,892 | $303,784 | $335,240 | $263,969 | $527,937 | |
| Nashville, TN | $175,645 | $138,303 | $276,606 | $333,520 | $262,614 | $525,228 | |
| New York, NY | $240,112 | $189,065 | $378,129 | $456,558 | $359,494 | $718,989 | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $158,793 | $125,034 | $250,068 | $295,506 | $232,682 | $465,364 | |
| Omaha, NE | $155,991 | $122,828 | $245,655 | $262,914 | $207,019 | $414,038 | |
| Philadelphia, PA | $195,024 | $153,562 | $307,124 | $345,676 | $272,186 | $544,372 | |
| Phoenix, AZ | $173,039 | $136,251 | $272,502 | $303,711 | $239,143 | $478,285 | |
| Portland, OR | $173,221 | $136,394 | $272,789 | $303,647 | $239,092 | $478,184 | |
| Sacramento, CA | $176,419 | $138,913 | $277,825 | $285,670 | $224,937 | $449,874 | |
| San Antonio, TX | $155,210 | $122,213 | $244,425 | $272,217 | $214,344 | $428,688 | |
| San Diego, CA | $200,204 | $157,641 | $315,282 | $342,385 | $269,594 | $539,189 | |
| San Francisco, CA | $257,399 | $202,676 | $405,353 | $456,008 | $359,061 | $718,123 | |
| San Jose, CA | $267,380 | $210,535 | $421,071 | $450,231 | $354,513 | $709,025 | |
| Seattle, WA | $198,866 | $156,587 | $313,175 | $349,529 | $275,220 | $550,439 | |
| Washington, DC | $255,980 | $201,559 | $403,118 | $441,854 | $347,917 | $695,833 | |
| U.S. | $173,953 | $136,971 | $273,942 | $311,427 | $245,218 | $490,436 | |
Reader Comments
forgot the god part
ok look god freak
i would rather be unhappy and rich than unhappy and poor. money does buy happiness ask my wife who drives a lambo spyder.
god - money and obama
fools - only we hard working middle class americans pay taxes. the congress doesnt pay taxes and most very poor and very rich dont pay taxes. but here this no politicians that have a brain pay much taxes at all. i am 53 and have lived a while, i am very concerned to the point of leaving the us. we have become a third world country and now with obama we are really going to be slaughtered. have you noticed that the police have now taken off the saying to protect and serve? police in the us are like bandits in mexico - they are no better. we are nothing more than income for the police and government, food for the rest of the world. i tell you this - we "the us" are up $hit creek! there needs to be allot of changes in the us - thing is i dont have the time left in my life to do that. so i am going to educated my kids and grand kids of how the world should be and teach them to travel the world if they have to find the place which will give them a good life. to be loyal to no country at all ever. be a drifter and let the world be your dinner table. of course they will have money to do this because i have made a ton. more so i know how to make money i have the formula anyone can get it study all rich self made men. the blue prints are there.
to be rich ahhhhhh
as long as you received JESUS CHRIST in your life you got everything....material things if you die you can't bring them but if you have JESUS CHRIST you're hundred percent that you have eternal life...JOHN 3:16 JOHN 14:6....
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