The Average U.S. Worker Falls $52,000 Short of the Salary Needed to Live Comfortably
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For generations, earning the typical wage was often enough to support a middle-class lifestyle. Today, that’s no longer true.
A new analysis from MyPerfectResume found that in all 50 of America’s largest metropolitan areas, the median wage falls below the salary needed to live comfortably and maintain a stable middle-class lifestyle. From expensive coastal cities to traditionally affordable inland metros, workers are earning less than what it takes to cover housing, transportation, healthcare, food, retirement savings, and a modest financial cushion.
Using data from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, MyPerfectResume calculated the gross annual salary a single adult needs to cover housing, transportation, food, healthcare, retirement savings, and a modest financial cushion in each of the 50 largest metros.
Across the 50 metros analyzed, our estimated average middle-class lifestyle threshold is $104,681. The average median wage is just $52,460, leaving the typical worker more than $52,000 short. Most strikingly, not a single metro came close to the estimated threshold.
Key Takeaways
- No major metro meets our estimated middle-class lifestyle threshold. In all 50 metros analyzed, the median wage falls below what we estimate a single adult needs for financial stability.
- The average worker falls an estimated $52,221 short per year. Our average estimated threshold is $104,681, compared with a median wage of $52,460.
- San Jose has the highest threshold at $156,908, but Honolulu has the worst gap. A Honolulu worker’s median wage would need to increase by 176.7% to reach the estimated middle-class threshold.
- Eight metros require more than $130,000 for middle-class stability. San Jose, Honolulu, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, Washington D.C., and Seattle all exceed that level.
- Even the most affordable metros fall tens of thousands of dollars short. Birmingham, Memphis, and Tulsa have the lowest thresholds, but median wages there still leave workers $38,000 to $41,000 behind.
- The gap is structural, not geographic. Lower-cost cities don’t close the gap; they narrow it. The mismatch between the average middle-class income by city and the cost of stability is evident everywhere.
A note on framing: Middle-class stability is, by definition, above the typical wage for many workers. Some gap between the median wage and a middle-class target is expected. This analysis quantifies how large that gap has become and how it persists in every major metro, regardless of local cost levels.
How We Got Here: Wages Have Never Kept Up
The gap between wages and the cost of a stable middle-class life isn’t new, but it has grown.
For most of the post-World War II era, wage growth tracked living costs closely enough that a single income could support a household. That relationship began to break down in the 1980s and 1990s as housing costs, healthcare, and higher education outpaced wage growth. By the 2010s, the divergence had become structural.
Several factors have driven the persistent gap between wage growth and the cost of living:
- Housing costs: Rents and home prices have risen significantly faster than wages in most major metros over the past two decades. Housing now consumes more than a third of a typical middle-class spending basket.
- Healthcare: Premium and out-of-pocket healthcare costs have grown consistently faster than inflation, adding thousands of dollars annually to the effective cost of a stable life.
- Wage stagnation at the median: While wages at the top have grown substantially, median wages have risen far more slowly, especially when adjusted for the true cost of living in high-cost markets.
- Geographic divergence: The highest-paying jobs have concentrated in a small number of expensive coastal metros, where housing and service costs have risen in step with the high wages those markets offer, and often faster.
The result is a labor market that looks healthy by traditional measures: low unemployment and millions of job openings. But it’s one where the median wage in every major city falls far short of what a single adult needs to live without financial precarity.
Metro Breakdown: Where the Gap Is Widest & Narrowest
The gap between wages and middle-class stability is present everywhere, but its magnitude varies significantly across metros. The most expensive cities require incomes that even above-average earners cannot reach. The most affordable cities narrow the gap, but never close it.
The 10 Most Expensive Metros
California metros dominate the top of the ranking. San Jose requires the highest threshold at $156,908, driven by a regional price parity 31.2% above the national average. But Honolulu has the most severe mismatch: a median wage of $53,840 covers only about a third of the cost of living.
| Number | Metro Area | Threshold | Median Wage | Dollar Gap | Gap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $156,908 | $82,430 | $74,478 | 90.4% |
| 2 | Honolulu, HI | $149,002 | $53,840 | $95,162 | 176.7% |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $142,229 | $60,580 | $81,649 | 134.8% |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $136,586 | $56,420 | $80,166 | 142.1% |
| 5 | San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $134,089 | $57,340 | $76,749 | 133.8% |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $132,205 | $64,920 | $67,285 | 103.6% |
| 7 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD | $131,008 | $72,340 | $58,668 | 81.1% |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $129,741 | $68,530 | $61,211 | 89.3% |
| 9 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $118,554 | $57,320 | $61,234 | 106.8% |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $115,147 | $54,620 | $60,527 | 110.8% |
Sources: MIT Living Wage Calculator 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities 2022; BLS OES 2023.
The 10 Most Affordable Metros
The South and Midwest offer the lowest thresholds, but lower wages offset much of the advantage. In Birmingham, the most affordable major metro in the analysis, the median wage of $45,380 covers just 54% of the estimated threshold. In every case, the gap remains significant.
| Number | Metro Area | Threshold | Median Wage | Dollar Gap | Gap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham-Hoover, AL | $83,500 | $45,380 | $38,120 | 84.0% |
| 2 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $83,841 | $43,160 | $40,681 | 94.3% |
| 3 | Tulsa, OK | $84,524 | $46,120 | $38,404 | 83.3% |
| 4 | Oklahoma City, OK | $85,643 | $44,580 | $41,063 | 92.1% |
| 5 | Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN | $88,339 | $46,820 | $41,519 | 88.7% |
| 6 | Tucson, AZ | $89,017 | $44,560 | $44,457 | 99.8% |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $89,130 | $48,230 | $40,900 | 84.8% |
| 8 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | $89,480 | $49,870 | $39,610 | 79.4% |
| 9 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $89,830 | $50,340 | $39,490 | 78.4% |
| 10 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $89,923 | $45,180 | $44,743 | 99.0% |
Sources: MIT Living Wage Calculator 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities 2022; BLS OES 2023.
The most difficult markets are those where costs are high, but wages are only moderate. For example, the salary needed to live comfortably in Miami is $112,934 (similar to Seattle’s); however, the median wage of $45,620 is far lower, resulting in a percentage gap of 147.6%, among the worst in the analysis. Riverside, Fresno, and New Orleans follow a similar pattern: mid-tier costs paired with below-average wages.
What This Means by Occupation
The threshold data becomes concrete when measured against what workers in specific jobs actually earn. The table below shows national median wages for common occupations and how they compare to the estimated middle-class threshold.
| Occupation | National Median | Middle-Class Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $133,080 | Meets threshold in 45 of 50 metros. Falls short in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, and San Jose. |
| Marketing Manager | $161,030 | Meets or exceeds our estimated threshold in all 50 metros analyzed. |
| Registered Nurse | $93,600 | Meets our estimated threshold in 16 of 50 metros, including most lower-cost Southern and Midwest cities. Falls short in mid-tier and high-cost metros. |
| K-12 Teacher | $63,000 | Falls short in all 50 metros. Covers roughly 60% of our average estimated threshold, even in the most affordable cities. |
| Accountant / Auditor | $81,680 | Falls short in all 50 metros. Comes within $2,000 of the estimated threshold in the most affordable cities. |
| Retail Sales Worker | $33,150 | Falls short in every metro. The national median is less than a third of our average estimated threshold. |
Sources: BLS OES 2024 national median wages by occupation. Coverage assessments are based on our $104,681 average estimated threshold and city-specific thresholds. Results are approximate and vary by metro.
High-earning professional and technical roles can meet our estimated threshold in many cities. For most workers, including teachers, nurses, accountants, and retail workers, it remains out of reach in most or all major metros. The gap isn’t spread evenly across the workforce.
What This Means for Workers & Employers
In every major U.S. city, the typical worker earns well below our estimated middle-class lifestyle threshold.
For workers, this means that a full-time job at the median wage isn’t a path to financial stability in any major metro without a side job or supplemental income. It means budgets that don’t balance, retirement savings that don’t happen, and emergencies that become crises. It also means that location decisions matter enormously. Not just which city pays more, but which city requires less.
For employers, the gap has a practical implication: compensation strategies benchmarked against national averages may systematically underpay workers relative to what financial stability actually requires in their market. In high-threshold metros like Miami, Riverside, and Providence, workers face the most acute pressure, earning far below what local stability requires and having fewer options to close the gap through relocation.
Why it matters: Until wages and costs converge, a significant share of the workforce will remain in structural financial precarity regardless of employment status or effort.
Regional Breakdown: A Closer Look by State & Market
The gap appears in every region, but the shape of the problem varies.
California: 6 Metros, All in the Top 22 Nationally
California accounts for six of the 50 metros, and every one ranks in the top 22 nationally by threshold. The average estimated threshold across California metros is $125,124. The average median wage is $56,395. That is an average gap of $68,729 per worker.
The range runs from San Jose at $156,908 down to Fresno at $102,311. Even Fresno, the most affordable California metro in the analysis, requires more than a six-figure income for middle-class stability. The Inland Empire (Riverside) and the Central Valley (Fresno) face a specific challenge: costs are lower than in coastal markets, but wages are far lower as well, resulting in percentage gaps of 138.7% and 136.4%, respectively.
| National Rank | Metro Area | Threshold | Median Wage | Dollar Gap | Gap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $156,908 | $82,430 | $74,478 | 90.4% |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $136,586 | $56,420 | $80,166 | 142.1% |
| 5 | San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $134,089 | $57,340 | $76,749 | 133.8% |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $115,147 | $54,620 | $60,527 | 110.8% |
| 20 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $105,704 | $44,280 | $61,424 | 138.7% |
| 22 | Fresno, CA | $102,311 | $43,280 | $59,031 | 136.4% |
Sources: MIT Living Wage Calculator 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities 2022; BLS OES 2023.
Florida: Lower Costs, but Far Lower Wages
Florida’s four metros average an estimated threshold of $99,350. That sounds more manageable than California. But Florida median wages average just $45,858, producing an average gap of $53,493. The state’s relatively low cost of living doesn’t compensate for its below-average wages.
Miami is the clearest case. Its threshold of $112,934 is comparable to Seattle’s. But its median wage of $45,620 is about $23,000 below Seattle’s, resulting in a percentage gap of 147.6%, the highest of any major metro outside Hawaii.
| National Rank | Metro Area | Threshold | Median Wage | Dollar Gap | Gap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $112,934 | $45,620 | $67,314 | 147.6% |
| 26 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $97,348 | $44,760 | $52,588 | 117.5% |
| 33 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $94,441 | $45,820 | $48,621 | 106.1% |
| 38 | Jacksonville, FL | $92,679 | $47,230 | $45,449 | 96.2% |
Sources: MIT Living Wage Calculator 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities 2022; BLS OES 2023.
Texas: The Most Affordable Major State, Still Well Short
Texas is the most affordable of the four regional snapshots. Its four metros average $96,069 in threshold and $ 52,248 in median wage, producing the smallest average gap in this group: $43,822. Texas also has no state income tax, which means take-home pay stretches further relative to gross wages than in most other states.
Austin is the outlier. Its threshold of $106,184 is the highest in Texas, driven by rapid cost growth over the past decade. Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio cluster around $ 90,000. In all four cities, the threshold is within range for workers in technical and professional fields, but well out of reach at the median.
| National Rank | Metro Area | Threshold | Median Wage | Dollar Gap | Gap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | $106,184 | $60,180 | $46,004 | 76.4% |
| 29 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $94,944 | $52,860 | $42,084 | 79.6% |
| 36 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $93,225 | $50,770 | $42,455 | 83.6% |
| 41 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $89,923 | $45,180 | $44,743 | 99.0% |
Sources: MIT Living Wage Calculator 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities 2022; BLS OES 2023.
Midwest: The Smallest Gaps, the Most Overlooked Story
The Midwest’s seven metros average a threshold of $95,562 and a median wage of $51,400, producing an average gap of $44,162. That’s the smallest average gap among regional groups and is meaningfully below the national average.
But smaller isn’t the same as closed. Even in the most accessible Midwest metros, workers at the median fall $39,000 to $55,000 short. Chicago, at a threshold of $106,729 and a gap of $54,589, is more closely aligned with a mid-tier coastal city than with its Midwest neighbors. St. Louis and Kansas City have the lowest thresholds in the group, both under $90,000, and their median wages still fall short by more than $40,000.
The Midwest is often framed as the affordable alternative to coastal markets. The data confirms it’s more affordable in absolute terms. The wage-to-threshold gap persists in every city here and remains tens of thousands of dollars wide.
| National Rank | Metro Area | Threshold | Median Wage | Dollar Gap | Gap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $107,210 | $58,760 | $48,450 | 82.5% |
| 18 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $106,729 | $52,140 | $54,589 | 104.7% |
| 31 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $94,752 | $50,320 | $44,432 | 88.3% |
| 39 | Columbus, OH | $91,802 | $50,140 | $41,662 | 83.1% |
| 42 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $89,830 | $50,340 | $39,490 | 78.4% |
| 43 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | $89,480 | $49,870 | $39,610 | 79.4% |
| 44 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $89,130 | $48,230 | $40,900 | 84.8% |
Sources: MIT Living Wage Calculator 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities 2022; BLS OES 2023.
Full Ranking: All 50 Metros
| Rank | Metro Area | Threshold | Median Wage | Dollar Gap | Gap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $156,908 | $82,430 | $74,478 | 90.4% |
| 2 | Honolulu, HI | $149,002 | $53,840 | $95,162 | 176.7% |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $142,229 | $60,580 | $81,649 | 134.8% |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $136,586 | $56,420 | $80,166 | 142.1% |
| 5 | San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $134,089 | $57,340 | $76,749 | 133.8% |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $132,205 | $64,920 | $67,285 | 103.6% |
| 7 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD | $131,008 | $72,340 | $58,668 | 81.1% |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $129,741 | $68,530 | $61,211 | 89.3% |
| 9 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $118,554 | $57,320 | $61,234 | 106.8% |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $115,147 | $54,620 | $60,527 | 110.8% |
| 11 | Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | $114,701 | $57,620 | $57,081 | 99.1% |
| 12 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $113,925 | $57,810 | $56,115 | 97.1% |
| 13 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $112,934 | $45,620 | $67,314 | 147.6% |
| 14 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $112,826 | $59,640 | $53,186 | 89.2% |
| 15 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $111,059 | $50,640 | $60,419 | 119.3% |
| 16 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE | $109,477 | $54,980 | $54,497 | 99.1% |
| 17 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $107,210 | $58,760 | $48,450 | 82.5% |
| 18 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $106,729 | $52,140 | $54,589 | 104.7% |
| 19 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | $106,184 | $60,180 | $46,004 | 76.4% |
| 20 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $105,704 | $44,280 | $61,424 | 138.7% |
| 21 | Salt Lake City, UT | $103,870 | $53,180 | $50,690 | 95.3% |
| 22 | Fresno, CA | $102,311 | $43,280 | $59,031 | 136.4% |
| 23 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | $99,634 | $46,530 | $53,104 | 114.1% |
| 24 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $99,566 | $57,240 | $42,326 | 73.9% |
| 25 | Richmond, VA | $98,469 | $53,410 | $45,059 | 84.4% |
| 26 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $97,348 | $44,760 | $52,588 | 117.5% |
| 27 | Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $95,902 | $49,380 | $46,522 | 94.2% |
| 28 | Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN | $95,182 | $50,260 | $44,922 | 89.4% |
| 29 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $94,944 | $52,860 | $42,084 | 79.6% |
| 30 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | $94,944 | $49,380 | $45,564 | 92.3% |
| 31 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $94,752 | $50,320 | $44,432 | 88.3% |
| 32 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $94,464 | $50,420 | $44,044 | 87.4% |
| 33 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $94,441 | $45,820 | $48,621 | 106.1% |
| 34 | Rochester, NY | $94,202 | $50,120 | $44,082 | 88.0% |
| 35 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $93,557 | $51,480 | $42,077 | 81.7% |
| 36 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $93,225 | $50,770 | $42,455 | 83.6% |
| 37 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $93,130 | $47,380 | $45,750 | 96.6% |
| 38 | Jacksonville, FL | $92,679 | $47,230 | $45,449 | 96.2% |
| 39 | Columbus, OH | $91,802 | $50,140 | $41,662 | 83.1% |
| 40 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $90,182 | $44,780 | $45,402 | 101.4% |
| 41 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $89,923 | $45,180 | $44,743 | 99.0% |
| 42 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $89,830 | $50,340 | $39,490 | 78.4% |
| 43 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | $89,480 | $49,870 | $39,610 | 79.4% |
| 44 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $89,130 | $48,230 | $40,900 | 84.8% |
| 45 | Tucson, AZ | $89,017 | $44,560 | $44,457 | 99.8% |
| 46 | Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN | $88,339 | $46,820 | $41,519 | 88.7% |
| 47 | Oklahoma City, OK | $85,643 | $44,580 | $41,063 | 92.1% |
| 48 | Tulsa, OK | $84,524 | $46,120 | $38,404 | 83.3% |
| 49 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $83,841 | $43,160 | $40,681 | 94.3% |
| 50 | Birmingham-Hoover, AL | $83,500 | $45,380 | $38,120 | 84.0% |
Sources: MIT Living Wage Calculator 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities 2022; BLS OES 2023.
Limitations: What This Analysis Does & Doesn’t Show
Not every dollar gap reflects the same underlying cause, and several factors limit how precisely these estimates should be interpreted.
- This applies to single adults only. All thresholds reflect one adult with no dependents. Families with children face substantially higher income requirements.
- The 2.0x multiplier is a proprietary estimate. The analysis uses a 2.0x multiplier on the MIT Living Wage to approximate a middle-class lifestyle floor. This is a methodological choice, not a universally established standard. Different multipliers produce different threshold values; the ranking order doesn’t change.
- Median wages include part-time workers. BLS OES median wages reflect all workers, regardless of hours worked, which may slightly understate the earnings of full-time workers.
- Tax assumptions are approximate. A 22% effective rate is used as an estimate for combined federal and state income taxes. Actual rates vary by state, filing status, and income level.
- Regional price data lags by approximately two years. BEA Regional Price Parities are the most recent publicly available but reflect 2022 conditions. Markets with rapid cost changes may not be fully captured.
These limitations don’t change the direction of the finding. Under any reasonable version of the methodology, the median wage in every major metro falls well short of what a single adult needs for financial stability. The specific dollar figures should be understood as estimates, not precise thresholds.
For press inquiries, please contact Nathan Barber at nathan.barber@bold.com.
Methodology
This analysis was conducted by MyPerfectResume using publicly available data from three federal sources.
To estimate a middle-class lifestyle threshold for each metro, MyPerfectResume began with the MIT Living Wage Calculator (2024), developed by Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier at the MIT Poverty in America Project. The Living Wage represents the minimum annual income a single adult with no dependents needs to cover essential costs, including housing, food, transportation, and healthcare, using local source data, including HUD Fair Market Rents and USDA food plan costs.
Because the MIT Living Wage reflects bare survival rather than a comfortable middle-class standard, a 2.0x multiplier was conceptually applied to approximate a lifestyle that includes retirement savings, an emergency buffer, and modest discretionary spending. This multiplier is grounded in Urban Institute research, placing comfortable middle-class spending at approximately 1.8x to 2.5x the poverty/survival baseline for single adults.
In practice, the 2.0x is built directly into the formula: the MIT Living Wage provides the survival baseline (the first half), and the BEA Regional Price Parities adjust the discretionary portion (the second half) for local prices. The RPP is applied only to the added portion, not to the survival baseline that MIT already prices locally. This avoids double-counting geographic cost differences. The full formula is: Threshold = MIT_LW x (1 + RPP/100) / 0.78.
At the national average RPP of 100, this produces (1 + 100/100) = 2.0, meaning the formula is exactly 2.0x on average. In higher-cost metros, the effective multiplier rises slightly; in lower-cost metros, it falls slightly, which is what local price adjustment is designed to do. The 0.78 divisor converts the after-tax spending basket to a gross salary, assuming a ~22% effective combined federal and state income tax rate.
To measure the gap, each metro’s estimated threshold was compared against the median annual wage for all occupations combined in that metro, drawn from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (2023).
Sensitivity test: Because the 2.0x multiplier is a methodological choice rather than a universal standard, we tested the results at three multiplier levels. At 1.8x, 50 of 50 metros fail to meet the estimated threshold. At 2.0x, 50 of 50 metros fail. At 2.2x, 50 of 50 metros fail. The finding that no major metro closes the gap is consistent across the full range of reasonable multiplier assumptions.
| Multiplier | Avg. Estimated Threshold | Metros Where Median Falls Short |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8x | $94,213 | 50 of 50 |
| 2.0x (this analysis) | $104,681 | 50 of 50 |
| 2.2x | $115,149 | 50 of 50 |
The finding that no major metro’s median wage meets the estimated middle-class threshold holds across all tested multiplier levels.
Data Sources
- MIT Living Wage Calculator (2024): Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- BEA Regional Price Parities (2022): U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (2023): U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (2022): Spending category shares for supplemental breakdown
- Urban Institute: What Is Middle Class, Anyway?
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Middle-Class Income Gap
Jasmine is a certified career coach and recognized expert in job search strategy. She is committed to helping job seekers navigate the job market and succeed in their careers.
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