Mercuri / Getty Images/iStockphoto The United States is a large and diverse country with big regional variances and even noticeable differences from one city to another. Everything from the food people eat to the way they dress to the way they talk can be night-and-day different in different parts of the country.
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But it’s not just the food we eat and the way we dress that can be hugely varied. How much money people make can also vary widely depending upon where you are in the country. The reasons for that are of course complicated, but they can be dramatic.
To highlight just how big those differences are, GOBankingRates used data from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey to find which cities have the highest and lowest incomes. In particular, this report shows how much it takes to be considered rich, or in the top 20%, in 50 major U.S. cities, as well as the average incomes of the top 20% and top 5%.
Population: 674,841
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $66,139
Average Income of the Top 20%: $119,802
Average Income of the Top 5%: $214,550
Population: 594,548
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $84,764
Average Income of the Top 20%: $144,391
Average Income of the Top 5%: $250,163
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Population: 541,482
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $86,761
Average Income of the Top 20%: $142,548
Average Income of the Top 5%: $236,763
karenfoleyphotography / Getty Images Population: 651,932
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $86,964
Average Income of the Top 20%: $172,622
Average Income of the Top 5%: $335,653
Population: 454,279
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $92,902
Average Income of the Top 20%: $203,173
Average Income of the Top 5%: $414,523
Population: 679,813
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $94,422
Average Income of the Top 20%: $159,753
Average Income of the Top 5%: $274,474
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Population: 864,447
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $97,257
Average Income of the Top 20%: $177,264
Average Income of the Top 5%: $325,191
Population: 402,324
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $100,527
Average Income of the Top 20%: $204,789
Average Income of the Top 5%: $399,675
f11photo / Getty Images/iStockphoto Population: 1,579,075
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $101,220
Average Income of the Top 20%: $185,720
Average Income of the Top 5%: $334,665
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Population: 878,553
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $101,704
Average Income of the Top 20%: $165,341
Average Income of the Top 5%: $278,699
Population: 525,010
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $102,665
Average Income of the Top 20%: $179,014
Average Income of the Top 5%: $312,593
Population: 390,845
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $103,102
Average Income of the Top 20%: $214,081
Average Income of the Top 5%: $419,277
Population: 1,508,083
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $103,459
Average Income of the Top 20%: $177,051
Average Income of the Top 5%: $307,182
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Population: 389,877
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $104,212
Average Income of the Top 20%: $178,238
Average Income of the Top 5%: $311,677
virsuziglis / Getty Images/iStockphoto Population: 890,467
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $105,392
Average Income of the Top 20%: $187,403
Average Income of the Top 5%: $340,630
Population: 617,790
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $106,805
Average Income of the Top 20%: $189,981
Average Income of the Top 5%: $338,895
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Population: 559,374
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $106,866
Average Income of the Top 20%: $181,094
Average Income of the Top 5%: $312,212
Population: 609,032
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $109,132
Average Income of the Top 20%: $200,552
Average Income of the Top 5%: $361,702
Population: 486,404
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $109,276
Average Income of the Top 20%: $190,266
Average Income of the Top 5%: $336,124
Population: 643,692
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $109,628
Average Income of the Top 20%: $198,337
Average Income of the Top 5%: $359,694
Population: 499,720
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $110,516
Average Income of the Top 20%: $189,474
Average Income of the Top 5%: $329,640
tobiasjo / Getty Images Population: 634,773
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $111,380
Average Income of the Top 20%: $206,207
Average Income of the Top 5%: $390,614
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Population: 1,330,612
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $112,570
Average Income of the Top 20%: $249,354
Average Income of the Top 5%: $503,284
Population: 1,633,017
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $114,378
Average Income of the Top 20%: $205,265
Average Income of the Top 5%: $363,262
Population: 663,750
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $115,609
Average Income of the Top 20%: $212,201
Average Income of the Top 5%: $393,014
Population: 2,310,432
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $115,794
Average Income of the Top 20%: $238,529
Average Income of the Top 5%: $458,999
Population: 475,862
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $116,680
Average Income of the Top 20%: $210,534
Average Income of the Top 5%: $383,604
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Population: 395,477
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $116,807
Average Income of the Top 20%: $188,180
Average Income of the Top 5%: $308,114
Population: 874,401
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $120,362
Average Income of the Top 20%: $204,008
Average Income of the Top 5%: $355,816
Manny Chavez / Getty Images/iStockphoto Population: 500,930
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $121,986
Average Income of the Top 20%: $205,832
Average Income of the Top 5%: $348,308
Population: 464,871
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $122,763
Average Income of the Top 20%: $203,661
Average Income of the Top 5%: $345,526
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Population: 466,776
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $127,021
Average Income of the Top 20%: $218,233
Average Income of the Top 5%: $370,584
Population: 857,425
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $129,044
Average Income of the Top 20%: $253,194
Average Income of the Top 5%: $483,726
Population: 2,709,534
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $129,772
Average Income of the Top 20%: $253,077
Average Income of the Top 5%: $482,166
Population: 420,324
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $130,980
Average Income of the Top 20%: $235,237
Average Income of the Top 5%: $419,785
Population: 464,485
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $131,513
Average Income of the Top 20%: $239,741
Average Income of the Top 5%: $437,763
Sherry V Smith / Shutterstock.com Population: 450,201
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $134,181
Average Income of the Top 20%: $224,988
Average Income of the Top 5%: $393,662
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Population: 3,966,936
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $135,373
Average Income of the Top 20%: $268,700
Average Income of the Top 5%: $516,961
Population: 645,291
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $140,447
Average Income of the Top 20%: $241,724
Average Income of the Top 5%: $411,647
Population: 488,800
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $141,360
Average Income of the Top 20%: $324,646
Average Income of the Top 5%: $668,261
Population: 705,576
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $141,801
Average Income of the Top 20%: $260,157
Average Income of the Top 5%: $475,273
Population: 8,419,316
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $144,541
Average Income of the Top 20%: $295,662
Average Income of the Top 5%: $585,902
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Population: 950,807
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $145,166
Average Income of the Top 20%: $267,777
Average Income of the Top 5%: $485,554
Population: 1,409,573
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $157,252
Average Income of the Top 20%: $274,941
Average Income of the Top 5%: $479,743
SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images Population: 684,379
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $159,024
Average Income of the Top 20%: $299,047
Average Income of the Top 5%: $563,610
Population: 425,097
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $161,345
Average Income of the Top 20%: $290,953
Average Income of the Top 5%: $505,880
Population: 724,305
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $186,063
Average Income of the Top 20%: $331,167
Average Income of the Top 5%: $583,249
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Population: 692,683
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $189,293
Average Income of the Top 20%: $350,856
Average Income of the Top 5%: $633,882
Population: 1,027,690
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $214,975
Average Income of the Top 20%: $342,891
Average Income of the Top 5%: $552,697
Population: 874,961
Lowest Income to be Considered “Rich” (Top 20%): $239,840
Average Income of the Top 20%: $425,883
Average Income of the Top 5%: $743,811
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Methodology: For this piece GOBankingRates used American Community Survey data from the United States Census Bureau to first find the 50 largest cities in terms of total population. With these 50 cities isolated, GOBankingRates then used American Community Survey income quintile data to find each city’s: (1) lowest income to be considered in the top 20% richest income bracket; (2) the average income of the richest 20% and (3) the average income of the richest 5%. Only factor (1) was considered in final rankings. All data was collected and is up to date as of Oct. 26, 2021.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : How Much You Need To Be ‘Rich’ in 50 Major US Cities
