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Report Examines Income Gaps Across Metro Areas

A new report highlights a wide wage disparity across many regions. See data for your area.

Income inequality has gradually grown in recent decades and, by most accounts, accelerated as a result of the recession.

A report published this morning by the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) examines the issue at the metro area level, highlighting a wide wage disparity across many regions. The analysis, conducted by IHS Global Insight, projects further income inequality in the coming years, calling it a “structural feature of the 21st century economy.”

Although the economy finally reached pre-recession job levels nationally earlier this year, the report notes that many of these new jobs pay substantially lower wages. The manufacturing and construction industries still haven’t recovered, while the fastest growing segments of the economy tend to be lower-paying jobs in hospitality, health care and administrative support. 

Nationally, the average wage of jobs lost from 2008 to 2009 was $61,637, compared to $47,171 for positions gained since. This wage gap of 23 percent is much larger than that of other recent economic recession recoveries, according to the report.

USCM recently formed a task force to study policies around the issue, led by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh.

To assess metro area household income, the report grouped median household income into three categories: less than $35,000; $35,000-75,000; and greater than $75,000. In 2012, roughly a third of U.S. households fell into each group. Using these groups, the authors computed a ratio comparing the lowest and highest income distribution within each metro area. A ratio value of 1 means that the share of upper and lower-income households is equal, while higher values represents metro areas with more poorer households. 

This is different than traditional measures of income inequality, but it does help to illustrate how local income distributions compare to national averages.

Smaller metros, primarily concentrated in the South, were shown to have the largest shares of low-income households. On the opposite end of the spectrum were Washington, San Jose and other areas with a much higher cost of living.



 
         
Metro Area Households Earning < $35K Households Earning $35K-$74,999 Households Earning $75K+ MSA Ratio
Abilene, TX Metro Area 41.0% 35.0% 24.0% 1.71
Akron, OH Metro Area 35.5% 34.2% 30.4% 1.17
Albany, GA Metro Area 50.5% 28.4% 21.1% 2.39
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metro Area 29.2% 31.8% 39.1% 0.75
Albuquerque, NM Metro Area 38.8% 31.5% 29.7% 1.31
Alexandria, LA Metro Area 43.7% 33.1% 23.3% 1.88
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metro Area 29.4% 34.8% 35.7% 0.82
Altoona, PA Metro Area 41.4% 37.4% 21.2% 1.95
Amarillo, TX Metro Area 39.5% 32.5% 28.1% 1.41
Ames, IA Metro Area 38.6% 31.0% 30.3% 1.27
Anchorage, AK Metro Area 21.9% 30.2% 48.0% 0.46
Anderson, IN Metro Area 40.2% 37.9% 21.9% 1.84
Anderson, SC Metro Area 43.9% 33.0% 23.1% 1.90
Ann Arbor, MI Metro Area 32.7% 28.6% 38.6% 0.85
Anniston-Oxford, AL Metro Area 45.4% 34.4% 20.2% 2.25
Appleton, WI Metro Area 27.2% 35.0% 37.8% 0.72
Asheville, NC Metro Area 40.0% 35.1% 25.0% 1.60
Athens-Clarke County, GA Metro Area 46.4% 27.2% 26.3% 1.76
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA Metro Area 32.2% 31.9% 35.8% 0.90
Atlantic City, NJ Metro Area 34.5% 32.7% 32.7% 1.06
Auburn-Opelika, AL Metro Area 41.7% 28.7% 29.5% 1.41
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area 39.5% 32.0% 28.5% 1.39
Austin-Round Rock, TX Metro Area 28.9% 31.4% 39.7% 0.73
Bakersfield, CA Metro Area 39.3% 31.8% 28.9% 1.36
Baltimore-Towson, MD Metro Area 26.2% 28.7% 45.1% 0.58
Bangor, ME Metro Area 42.3% 35.5% 22.2% 1.91
Barnstable Town, MA Metro Area 28.9% 31.8% 39.4% 0.73
Baton Rouge, LA Metro Area 36.3% 31.1% 32.7% 1.11
Battle Creek, MI Metro Area 44.5% 33.2% 22.2% 2.00
Bay City, MI Metro Area 39.3% 36.4% 24.3% 1.62
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX Metro Area 41.3% 31.1% 27.5% 1.50
Bellingham, WA Metro Area 35.4% 33.9% 30.6% 1.16
Bend, OR Metro Area 36.2% 33.6% 30.2% 1.20
Billings, MT Metro Area 34.2% 36.4% 29.3% 1.17
Binghamton, NY Metro Area 37.6% 32.8% 29.5% 1.27
Birmingham-Hoover, AL Metro Area 38.5% 31.4% 30.1% 1.28
Bismarck, ND Metro Area 23.3% 36.3% 40.5% 0.58
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA Metro Area 42.4% 33.4% 24.2% 1.75
Bloomington, IN Metro Area 45.2% 31.3% 23.4% 1.93
Bloomington-Normal, IL Metro Area 30.3% 29.9% 39.8% 0.76
Boise City-Nampa, ID Metro Area 35.7% 36.2% 28.4% 1.26
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH Metro Area 26.0% 26.0% 47.9% 0.54
Boulder, CO Metro Area 26.8% 27.8% 45.5% 0.59
Bowling Green, KY Metro Area 42.1% 35.0% 22.9% 1.84
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA Metro Area 26.1% 36.0% 37.8% 0.69
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area 23.1% 24.4% 52.5% 0.44
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX Metro Area 55.1% 28.4% 16.4% 3.36
Brunswick, GA Metro Area 39.1% 34.4% 26.4% 1.48
Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY Metro Area 36.7% 31.7% 31.7% 1.16
Burlington, NC Metro Area 44.5% 32.3% 23.1% 1.93
Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area 27.5% 32.6% 39.9% 0.69
Canton-Massillon, OH Metro Area 38.3% 36.9% 24.8% 1.54
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Metro Area 37.0% 36.4% 26.4% 1.40
Casper, WY Metro Area 31.0% 32.7% 36.3% 0.85
Cedar Rapids, IA Metro Area 30.4% 33.1% 36.4% 0.84
Champaign-Urbana, IL Metro Area 37.8% 31.5% 30.8% 1.23
Charleston, WV Metro Area 38.3% 34.2% 27.5% 1.39
Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area 34.1% 35.6% 30.4% 1.12
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC Metro Area 33.0% 32.6% 34.5% 0.96
Charlottesville, VA Metro Area 27.9% 30.4% 41.8% 0.67
Chattanooga, TN-GA Metro Area 41.0% 32.5% 26.4% 1.55
Cheyenne, WY Metro Area 31.5% 32.5% 35.9% 0.88
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI Metro Area 30.4% 30.1% 39.5% 0.77
Chico, CA Metro Area 43.1% 32.2% 24.5% 1.76
Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metro Area 34.1% 31.8% 34.0% 1.00
Clarksville, TN-KY Metro Area 39.4% 37.9% 22.7% 1.74
Cleveland, TN Metro Area 46.7% 33.2% 20.1% 2.32
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH Metro Area 38.9% 31.1% 30.1% 1.29
Coeur d'Alene, ID Metro Area 35.7% 38.6% 25.7% 1.39
College Station-Bryan, TX Metro Area 44.5% 29.1% 26.3% 1.69
Colorado Springs, CO Metro Area 29.8% 33.4% 36.7% 0.81
Columbia, MO Metro Area 41.9% 29.1% 29.1% 1.44
Columbia, SC Metro Area 35.7% 34.4% 30.0% 1.19
Columbus, GA-AL Metro Area 41.8% 32.8% 25.2% 1.66
Columbus, IN Metro Area 33.2% 34.4% 32.5% 1.02
Columbus, OH Metro Area 32.3% 33.1% 34.5% 0.94
Corpus Christi, TX Metro Area 36.6% 34.0% 29.3% 1.25
Corvallis, OR Metro Area 37.8% 26.6% 35.7% 1.06
Cumberland, MD-WV Metro Area 49.2% 31.3% 19.5% 2.52
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area 30.6% 31.9% 37.5% 0.82
Dalton, GA Metro Area 52.0% 31.9% 16.0% 3.25
Danville, IL Metro Area 43.7% 30.8% 25.5% 1.71
Danville, VA Metro Area 47.4% 33.2% 19.2% 2.47
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metro Area 34.4% 34.0% 31.8% 1.08
Dayton, OH Metro Area 38.5% 34.2% 27.2% 1.42
Decatur, AL Metro Area 44.0% 30.3% 25.8% 1.71
Decatur, IL Metro Area 41.4% 32.0% 26.6% 1.56
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL Metro Area 43.6% 34.9% 21.5% 2.03
Denver-Aurora, CO Metro Area 28.0% 31.3% 40.7% 0.69
Des Moines, IA Metro Area 28.4% 33.7% 38.1% 0.75
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI Metro Area 36.0% 31.0% 33.1% 1.09
Dothan, AL Metro Area 47.2% 29.8% 23.1% 2.04
Dover, DE Metro Area 30.8% 34.1% 35.1% 0.88
Dubuque, IA Metro Area 36.1% 34.6% 29.5% 1.22
Duluth, MN-WI Metro Area 37.7% 36.3% 26.0% 1.45
Durham, NC Metro Area 35.8% 31.3% 32.8% 1.09
Eau Claire, WI Metro Area 38.3% 34.9% 26.8% 1.43
El Centro, CA Metro Area 46.5% 30.5% 23.0% 2.02
El Paso, TX Metro Area 44.7% 32.2% 22.9% 1.95
Elizabethtown, KY Metro Area 35.7% 36.6% 27.6% 1.29
Elkhart-Goshen, IN Metro Area 36.6% 39.2% 24.2% 1.51
Elmira, NY Metro Area 42.4% 30.0% 27.6% 1.54
Erie, PA Metro Area 38.6% 34.1% 27.4% 1.41
Eugene-Springfield, OR Metro Area 43.4% 31.7% 24.7% 1.76
Evansville, IN-KY Metro Area 38.8% 33.4% 27.8% 1.40
Fairbanks, AK Metro Area 25.6% 33.5% 40.9% 0.63
Fargo, ND-MN Metro Area 31.7% 36.2% 32.0% 0.99
Farmington, NM Metro Area 40.9% 29.0% 30.0% 1.36
Fayetteville, NC Metro Area 38.3% 38.6% 23.1% 1.66
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO Metro Area 37.7% 35.5% 26.8% 1.41
Flagstaff, AZ Metro Area 39.4% 32.3% 28.2% 1.40
Flint, MI Metro Area 43.6% 34.1% 22.2% 1.96
Florence, SC Metro Area 46.0% 30.3% 23.7% 1.94
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL Metro Area 42.4% 32.9% 24.7% 1.72
Fond du Lac, WI Metro Area 29.1% 42.0% 29.0% 1.00
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO Metro Area 32.2% 30.5% 37.3% 0.86
Fort Smith, AR-OK Metro Area 48.6% 34.0% 17.4% 2.79
Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, FL Metro Area 32.3% 35.6% 32.2% 1.00
Fort Wayne, IN Metro Area 34.5% 37.9% 27.6% 1.25
Fresno, CA Metro Area 43.3% 30.6% 26.1% 1.66
Gadsden, AL Metro Area 50.7% 31.2% 18.0% 2.82
Gainesville, FL Metro Area 45.7% 26.6% 27.8% 1.64
Gainesville, GA Metro Area 35.4% 35.8% 28.8% 1.23
Glens Falls, NY Metro Area 32.2% 37.0% 30.8% 1.05
Goldsboro, NC Metro Area 47.1% 31.6% 21.3% 2.21
Grand Forks, ND-MN Metro Area 40.9% 30.8% 28.3% 1.45
Grand Junction, CO Metro Area 36.0% 36.4% 27.6% 1.30
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI Metro Area 34.5% 35.9% 29.7% 1.16
Great Falls, MT Metro Area 42.1% 33.9% 24.2% 1.74
Greeley, CO Metro Area 30.4% 34.2% 35.4% 0.86
Green Bay, WI Metro Area 33.4% 34.7% 31.9% 1.05
Greensboro-High Point, NC Metro Area 41.4% 34.0% 24.7% 1.68
Greenville, NC Metro Area 47.2% 30.2% 22.7% 2.08
Greenville, SC Metro Area 41.6% 31.2% 27.0% 1.54
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS Metro Area 42.2% 33.9% 23.8% 1.77
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metro Area 33.6% 33.3% 33.0% 1.02
Hanford-Corcoran, CA Metro Area 37.5% 36.1% 26.3% 1.43
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metro Area 30.4% 35.0% 34.6% 0.88
Harrisonburg, VA Metro Area 40.0% 34.8% 25.2% 1.59
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT Metro Area 27.3% 28.3% 44.4% 0.61
Hattiesburg, MS Metro Area 47.9% 32.5% 19.7% 2.43
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metro Area 47.6% 32.8% 19.6% 2.43
Holland-Grand Haven, MI Metro Area 28.4% 39.4% 32.2% 0.88
Honolulu, HI Metro Area 22.5% 30.1% 47.5% 0.47
Hot Springs, AR Metro Area 44.5% 30.9% 24.6% 1.81
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA Metro Area 36.6% 32.7% 30.7% 1.19
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX Metro Area 31.6% 30.5% 37.9% 0.83
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metro Area 46.3% 31.8% 21.9% 2.11
Huntsville, AL Metro Area 31.7% 30.9% 37.3% 0.85
Idaho Falls, ID Metro Area 33.1% 38.2% 28.7% 1.15
Indianapolis, IN Metro Area 33.4% 32.5% 34.2% 0.98
Iowa City, IA Metro Area 34.4% 31.2% 34.4% 1.00
Ithaca, NY Metro Area 35.2% 32.2% 32.6% 1.08
Jackson, MI Metro Area 40.7% 35.9% 23.5% 1.73
Jackson, MS Metro Area 41.3% 31.3% 27.4% 1.51
Jackson, TN Metro Area 44.7% 29.2% 26.1% 1.71
Jacksonville, FL Metro Area 36.9% 32.8% 30.3% 1.22
Jacksonville, NC Metro Area 36.1% 42.8% 21.3% 1.69
Janesville, WI Metro Area 37.2% 36.1% 26.9% 1.38
Jefferson City, MO Metro Area 39.1% 33.9% 27.0% 1.45
Johnson City, TN Metro Area 45.0% 35.8% 19.2% 2.34
Johnstown, PA Metro Area 43.6% 34.5% 21.9% 1.99
Jonesboro, AR Metro Area 41.1% 34.5% 24.4% 1.68
Joplin, MO Metro Area 45.0% 34.6% 20.3% 2.22
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI Metro Area 41.3% 32.5% 26.2% 1.58
Kankakee-Bradley, IL Metro Area 33.8% 33.9% 32.3% 1.05
Kansas City, MO-KS Metro Area 31.4% 33.2% 35.4% 0.89
Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, WA Metro Area 30.5% 31.8% 37.6% 0.81
Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX Metro Area 34.9% 36.7% 28.3% 1.23
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA Metro Area 46.4% 33.2% 20.3% 2.29
Kingston, NY Metro Area 31.3% 30.5% 38.1% 0.82
Knoxville, TN Metro Area 40.2% 32.6% 27.2% 1.48
Kokomo, IN Metro Area 43.2% 32.4% 24.4% 1.77
La Crosse, WI-MN Metro Area 35.3% 34.4% 30.3% 1.17
Lafayette, IN Metro Area 39.2% 33.6% 27.1% 1.45
Lafayette, LA Metro Area 39.0% 30.1% 30.8% 1.27
Lake Charles, LA Metro Area 40.8% 32.5% 26.7% 1.53
Lakeland, FL Metro Area 41.7% 36.7% 21.6% 1.93
Lancaster, PA Metro Area 29.4% 36.6% 34.0% 0.86
Lansing-East Lansing, MI Metro Area 37.4% 33.7% 28.9% 1.29
Laredo, TX Metro Area 48.2% 31.0% 20.7% 2.33
Las Cruces, NM Metro Area 47.6% 29.9% 22.6% 2.11
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV Metro Area 34.6% 36.0% 29.5% 1.17
Lawrence, KS Metro Area 37.1% 32.6% 30.2% 1.23
Lawton, OK Metro Area 36.8% 38.2% 25.0% 1.47
Lebanon, PA Metro Area 31.8% 37.0% 31.1% 1.02
Lewiston-Auburn, ME Metro Area 40.3% 32.6% 27.2% 1.48
Lexington-Fayette, KY Metro Area 37.0% 31.4% 31.6% 1.17
Lima, OH Metro Area 42.1% 36.7% 21.2% 1.99
Lincoln, NE Metro Area 33.8% 34.2% 31.9% 1.06
Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR Metro Area 37.2% 33.4% 29.4% 1.27
Logan, UT-ID Metro Area 36.7% 38.9% 24.3% 1.51
Longview, TX Metro Area 40.4% 34.4% 25.2% 1.60
Longview, WA Metro Area 36.5% 39.0% 24.5% 1.49
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA Metro Area 31.5% 29.5% 38.9% 0.81
Louisville, KY-IN Metro Area 36.6% 33.5% 29.9% 1.22
Lubbock, TX Metro Area 42.5% 32.2% 25.3% 1.68
Lynchburg, VA Metro Area 39.2% 34.7% 26.3% 1.49
Macon, GA Metro Area 44.8% 31.0% 24.2% 1.85
Madera, CA Metro Area 42.2% 34.1% 23.5% 1.80
Madison, WI Metro Area 28.9% 32.8% 38.3% 0.75
Manchester-Nashua, NH Metro Area 23.9% 29.2% 46.8% 0.51
Mansfield, OH Metro Area 42.3% 36.1% 21.6% 1.96
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX Metro Area 51.5% 28.8% 19.6% 2.63
Medford, OR Metro Area 37.1% 38.8% 24.2% 1.53
Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area 39.8% 32.0% 28.2% 1.41
Merced, CA Metro Area 42.1% 32.3% 25.8% 1.63
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL Metro Area 38.3% 31.4% 30.2% 1.27
Michigan City-La Porte, IN Metro Area 37.6% 36.7% 25.7% 1.46
Midland, TX Metro Area 26.3% 33.2% 40.3% 0.65
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI Metro Area 34.7% 31.3% 34.2% 1.01
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metro Area 25.3% 30.8% 43.9% 0.58
Missoula, MT Metro Area 38.3% 35.5% 26.3% 1.46
Mobile, AL Metro Area 45.5% 31.9% 22.7% 2.00
Modesto, CA Metro Area 37.6% 33.8% 28.4% 1.32
Monroe, LA Metro Area 50.1% 26.7% 23.2% 2.16
Monroe, MI Metro Area 33.2% 35.0% 31.9% 1.04
Montgomery, AL Metro Area 38.5% 34.7% 26.8% 1.44
Morgantown, WV Metro Area 44.8% 30.8% 24.4% 1.84
Morristown, TN Metro Area 46.1% 35.9% 18.0% 2.56
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA Metro Area 31.8% 34.0% 34.2% 0.93
Muncie, IN Metro Area 47.6% 33.1% 19.3% 2.47
Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI Metro Area 43.6% 34.1% 22.3% 1.96
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Metro Area 44.0% 34.7% 21.4% 2.06
Napa, CA Metro Area 23.3% 30.9% 45.9% 0.51
Naples-Marco Island, FL Metro Area 32.8% 30.6% 36.6% 0.90
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro, TN Metro Area 33.5% 34.1% 32.5% 1.03
New Haven-Milford, CT Metro Area 31.5% 28.3% 40.1% 0.79
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA Metro Area 41.1% 29.7% 29.1% 1.41
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area 29.7% 26.5% 43.7% 0.68
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI Metro Area 40.8% 33.8% 25.4% 1.61
Norwich-New London, CT Metro Area 26.5% 28.9% 44.7% 0.59
Ocala, FL Metro Area 46.5% 35.3% 18.2% 2.55
Ocean City, NJ Metro Area 29.6% 34.6% 35.7% 0.83
Odessa, TX Metro Area 34.8% 32.3% 33.0% 1.05
Ogden-Clearfield, UT Metro Area 23.9% 37.6% 38.6% 0.62
Oklahoma City, OK Metro Area 36.3% 33.5% 30.1% 1.21
Olympia, WA Metro Area 27.9% 36.0% 36.0% 0.78
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA Metro Area 31.6% 33.7% 34.8% 0.91
Orlando-Kissimmee, FL Metro Area 38.1% 33.8% 28.1% 1.36
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Metro Area 31.3% 38.3% 30.3% 1.03
Owensboro, KY Metro Area 42.0% 33.4% 24.7% 1.70
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA Metro Area 22.7% 29.4% 47.9% 0.47
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL Metro Area 38.4% 33.5% 28.1% 1.37
Panama City-Lynn Haven, FL Metro Area 36.8% 36.8% 26.3% 1.40
Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH Metro Area 41.5% 36.1% 22.5% 1.84
Pascagoula, MS Metro Area 40.3% 33.9% 25.8% 1.56
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL Metro Area 35.4% 36.2% 28.3% 1.25
Peoria, IL Metro Area 32.6% 32.6% 34.8% 0.94
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metro Area 30.9% 28.7% 40.4% 0.76
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ Metro Area 33.6% 33.5% 33.0% 1.02
Pine Bluff, AR Metro Area 48.5% 32.9% 18.6% 2.61
Pittsburgh, PA Metro Area 35.7% 32.5% 31.8% 1.12
Pittsfield, MA Metro Area 39.1% 32.6% 28.3% 1.38
Pocatello, ID Metro Area 40.4% 35.0% 24.5% 1.65
Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, FL Metro Area 39.2% 33.9% 26.9% 1.46
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME Metro Area 31.6% 33.5% 34.9% 0.91
Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA Metro Area 30.1% 32.4% 37.4% 0.80
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY Metro Area 26.3% 28.3% 45.4% 0.58
Prescott, AZ Metro Area 38.4% 37.6% 23.8% 1.61
Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA Metro Area 33.8% 30.4% 36.0% 0.94
Provo-Orem, UT Metro Area 27.2% 37.1% 35.8% 0.76
Pueblo, CO Metro Area 42.2% 35.8% 22.1% 1.91
Punta Gorda, FL Metro Area 39.4% 37.8% 22.8% 1.73
Racine, WI Metro Area 32.2% 35.2% 32.4% 0.99
Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area 28.0% 31.7% 40.2% 0.70
Rapid City, SD Metro Area 30.2% 38.3% 31.6% 0.96
Reading, PA Metro Area 33.5% 34.3% 32.3% 1.04
Redding, CA Metro Area 38.1% 34.1% 27.9% 1.37
Reno-Sparks, NV Metro Area 37.0% 32.6% 30.4% 1.22
Richmond, VA Metro Area 29.6% 33.6% 36.8% 0.80
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Metro Area 34.0% 32.5% 33.5% 1.01
Roanoke, VA Metro Area 38.5% 34.3% 27.3% 1.41
Rochester, MN Metro Area 24.7% 34.1% 41.3% 0.60
Rochester, NY Metro Area 35.2% 32.9% 32.0% 1.10
Rockford, IL Metro Area 34.3% 35.1% 30.5% 1.12
Rocky Mount, NC Metro Area 46.9% 33.7% 19.5% 2.41
Rome, GA Metro Area 46.5% 31.4% 22.0% 2.11
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA Metro Area 31.5% 30.9% 37.4% 0.84
Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, MI Metro Area 43.0% 34.1% 22.8% 1.89
Salem, OR Metro Area 38.2% 35.9% 25.9% 1.47
Salinas, CA Metro Area 29.2% 33.9% 37.0% 0.79
Salisbury, MD Metro Area 38.9% 32.1% 28.9% 1.35
Salt Lake City, UT Metro Area 27.9% 34.5% 37.7% 0.74
San Angelo, TX Metro Area 39.1% 33.3% 27.7% 1.41
San Antonio, TX Metro Area 34.0% 33.5% 32.6% 1.04
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA Metro Area 29.7% 29.7% 40.5% 0.73
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA Metro Area 24.6% 25.5% 49.8% 0.49
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metro Area 20.1% 22.5% 57.3% 0.35
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA Metro Area 27.4% 31.6% 41.1% 0.67
Sandusky, OH Metro Area 38.2% 32.1% 29.8% 1.28
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, CA Metro Area 29.4% 29.7% 40.9% 0.72
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Metro Area 25.3% 29.3% 45.4% 0.56
Santa Fe, NM Metro Area 34.7% 32.7% 32.5% 1.07
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA Metro Area 28.0% 31.3% 40.6% 0.69
Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, FL Metro Area 37.7% 33.2% 29.0% 1.30
Savannah, GA Metro Area 37.5% 34.1% 28.4% 1.32
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA Metro Area 42.0% 31.9% 26.0% 1.62
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Area 25.2% 30.8% 43.9% 0.57
Sheboygan, WI Metro Area 32.4% 38.0% 29.6% 1.09
Sherman-Denison, TX Metro Area 38.0% 33.4% 28.6% 1.33
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA Metro Area 40.3% 31.4% 28.5% 1.41
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Metro Area 38.9% 35.0% 26.2% 1.48
Sioux Falls, SD Metro Area 29.9% 38.0% 32.0% 0.93
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI Metro Area 39.6% 35.7% 24.8% 1.60
Spartanburg, SC Metro Area 43.0% 33.9% 23.0% 1.87
Spokane, WA Metro Area 37.4% 33.8% 28.7% 1.30
Springfield, IL Metro Area 32.0% 33.0% 35.0% 0.91
Springfield, MA Metro Area 35.7% 30.7% 33.5% 1.07
Springfield, MO Metro Area 41.4% 36.6% 22.2% 1.86
Springfield, OH Metro Area 44.7% 34.0% 21.3% 2.10
St. Cloud, MN Metro Area 32.8% 32.5% 34.6% 0.95
St. George, UT Metro Area 38.0% 37.8% 24.1% 1.58
St. Joseph, MO-KS Metro Area 41.0% 35.0% 23.9% 1.72
St. Louis, MO-IL Metro Area 34.1% 31.9% 33.9% 1.01
State College, PA Metro Area 38.3% 29.2% 32.6% 1.17
Stockton, CA Metro Area 35.6% 31.4% 33.1% 1.08
Sumter, SC Metro Area 41.9% 35.9% 22.1% 1.90
Syracuse, NY Metro Area 34.6% 33.9% 31.4% 1.10
Tallahassee, FL Metro Area 41.1% 31.1% 27.9% 1.47
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metro Area 39.5% 33.2% 27.3% 1.45
Terre Haute, IN Metro Area 44.5% 33.2% 22.4% 1.99
Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR Metro Area 45.7% 32.9% 21.4% 2.14
Toledo, OH Metro Area 41.5% 31.6% 26.9% 1.54
Topeka, KS Metro Area 35.1% 37.0% 27.9% 1.26
Trenton-Ewing, NJ Metro Area 26.9% 26.9% 46.2% 0.58
Tucson, AZ Metro Area 39.9% 32.5% 27.6% 1.45
Tulsa, OK Metro Area 36.8% 34.6% 28.5% 1.29
Tuscaloosa, AL Metro Area 45.6% 29.7% 24.6% 1.85
Tyler, TX Metro Area 39.0% 32.4% 28.5% 1.37
Utica-Rome, NY Metro Area 38.8% 34.9% 26.4% 1.47
Valdosta, GA Metro Area 47.5% 31.3% 21.2% 2.24
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA Metro Area 27.4% 31.3% 41.3% 0.66
Victoria, TX Metro Area 34.9% 35.1% 29.9% 1.17
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ Metro Area 38.5% 31.1% 30.4% 1.27
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metro Area 30.0% 34.1% 36.1% 0.83
Visalia-Porterville, CA Metro Area 44.4% 32.3% 23.3% 1.91
Waco, TX Metro Area 44.8% 29.9% 25.4% 1.76
Warner Robins, GA Metro Area 31.2% 34.1% 34.7% 0.90
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area 17.0% 25.4% 57.5% 0.30
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Metro Area 33.2% 38.7% 28.0% 1.19
Wausau, WI Metro Area 30.8% 38.5% 30.6% 1.01
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH Metro Area 44.8% 33.8% 21.7% 2.06
Wenatchee, WA Metro Area 34.0% 37.8% 28.2% 1.21
Wheeling, WV-OH Metro Area 42.6% 35.9% 21.5% 1.98
Wichita, KS Metro Area 35.3% 35.7% 29.1% 1.21
Wichita Falls, TX Metro Area 37.6% 34.7% 27.7% 1.36
Williamsport, PA Metro Area 38.3% 34.6% 27.0% 1.42
Wilmington, NC Metro Area 35.0% 34.9% 30.1% 1.16
Winchester, VA-WV Metro Area 36.7% 28.3% 35.0% 1.05
Winston-Salem, NC Metro Area 42.8% 30.9% 26.2% 1.63
Worcester, MA Metro Area 29.2% 28.6% 42.1% 0.69
Yakima, WA Metro Area 39.0% 35.3% 25.8% 1.51
York-Hanover, PA Metro Area 29.5% 35.5% 35.1% 0.84
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA Metro Area 43.2% 34.8% 21.9% 1.97
Yuba City, CA Metro Area 37.3% 34.3% 28.4% 1.31
Yuma, AZ Metro Area 43.7% 37.4% 18.9% 2.31

Source: IHS Global Insight, U.S. Conference of Mayors
In 261 of the 357 metros areas, the distribution of poorer households was larger than that of the top income bracket. 

The size of each metro area’s middle class (click the middle column in the table to sort) is another measure worth reviewing. More than 40 percent of households fell into this bracket in Jacksonville, N.C., and Fond du Lac, Wisc., compared to only about a quarter of households in some of the more high-cost regions. Larger metro areas the report identified as having a relatively equal income distribution included Charlotte, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Providence, Riverside-San Bernardino and St. Louis.

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