Some of America’s Costliest Cities Offer Best Middle-Class Life
- Middle and low earners fare better when jobs mix is more even
- Worst-ranked cities are dominated by low-pay work, study finds
The San Jose area ranked first among 50 metros in leftover income.
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Some of the most expensive major cities in the US — like San Francisco and Washington — also offer the best living standards for mid- and lower-income households, according to a new study of metro areas by the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity.
Higher prices in those places are more than offset by the higher wages on offer, according to the institute’s analysis, which ranks the 50 biggest US metro areas based on the economic well-being of middle- and working-class residents. San Jose in California comes out on top.