Home Money Consciousness 15 US Cities Where People Can Earn Six Figures & Still Be Broke
Money Consciousness

15 US Cities Where People Can Earn Six Figures & Still Be Broke

SimiJanuary 30, 2018
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

2. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut

This Metropolitan Statistical Area also includes the Greater Bridgeport area. Fairfield county is completely encompassed in this area and has a population of just under a million people as of 2015. There are 23 towns included in this statistical area.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Bridgeport is the biggest city in the state and has a population of 151,276 according to a census done in 2017. This 5th most populated city in New England is only 60 miles away from Manhattan. The dominating industrial sector in Bridgeport began its decline in the middle of the 20th century. The economy is now more service orientated. Education, healthcare, and finance are currently the cornerstones of this city’s economy.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Stamford is another city if Fairfield county and is even close to Manhattan, located only 30 miles from the world-renowned borough. It is the 7th biggest city in New England and also forms part of the Greater New York Metropolitan Statistical Area. Stamford is home to a few Fortune 500 companies, as of 2017, there are 4 of these. Settled in 1649, Norwalk is now the 6th most populated city in the state of Connecticut. Famous companies like Priceline Group, Xerox, Pepperidge Farm, and Frontier Communications all have their home right in Norwalk.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Being part of the Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the Big Apple along with Wall Street, the area obviously is home to a fair amount of 6 figure earning households. The last point had these same households spending 99% of their income on living expenses. The leap made from that percentage is incredibly substantial. If monthly income after taxes is $6,297 and monthly expenses are $ 6,436, then shockingly these households cannot even afford the cost of living. They would need to spend money they do not have simply to cover their cost of living.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

1. Washington DC Metro:

This is the Washington Metropolitan area and includes part of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. It boasts some of the richest and most educated citizens in the entire United States. It is the 6th biggest Metropolitan in America and houses over 6 million people. The capital district of Washington D.C. was officially formed when the Residence Act was signed in July 1790. This district is under exclusive jurisdiction and thus does not actually form part of a state. Legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government are all based here. There are also 176 international embassies here along with countless historical monuments. In 2010, the Gross State Product of this district sat at $101.3 billion.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Business service and professional jobs together make up the diverse economy in Washington. In the Washington Metropolitan area, the 2nd biggest city is Arlington which is found in Arlington County. On the bank of the Potomac River, Washington D.C is but across the way from Arlington.  This city has some of the lowest unemployment rates in the state of Virginia. The economy is quite diverse, but there is a large portion of the workforce which is employed by the federal government.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Alexandria is on the same side of the Potomac River as Washington D.C and is only 7 miles to the south of the home of the American Government. The government influence is quite strong in the workforce and economy of this independent city. A large amount of the employees works for the federal government and its related services, in the military or at private companies that are contracted by the federal government.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Being such a highly educated region and also the home of the government of the United States, it is to be expected that many households earn above the 6-figure income bracket. But, along with this high earning potential comes an even higher cost of living. Using the same methods as previously used, any six-figure-earning household would need to spend 105% of their earnings on living expenses.

<< Previous

Advertisement