Maryland is Nations welthiest state!

[CHICAGOLAND92]

Originally Posted by shibainu

Ny metro median household income is not very high.It is a misconception that nyc people have money.
city-data Estimated median household income in 2005: $43,434 (it was $38,293 in 2000)

New York,NY $43,434
New York state: $49,480

Us. census- for nyc
Median family income (dollars)
49,374
Median household income (dollars)
43,434

NY Metro, not just the city itself..
Suffolk County, Westchester County, Nassau County, and many counties in NJ that are apart of the NY Metro area have above average median incomes. Even Manhattan's top 5% have a median income of over $700,000. Looking at just the city itself is midleading, especially considering NY has a very small middle class.
Of course there are lower class areas, but the upper class areas definitely overshadow.

[shibainu]

Originally Posted by CHICAGOLAND92

NY Metro, not just the city itself..
Suffolk County, Westchester County, Nassau County, and many counties in NJ that are apart of the NY Metro area have above average median incomes. Even Manhattan's top 5% have a median income of over $700,000. Looking at just the city itself is midleading, especially considering NY has a very small middle class.
Of course there are lower class areas, but the upper class areas definitely overshadow.

Ok you specified ny metro.So here is that data:

New York--Northern New Jersey--Long Island, NY--NJ--CT--PA CMSA population 21,199,865 The counties and county groupings comprising the New York metropolitan area are listed below with 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates of their populations.

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (18,709,802)

New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division (11,482,569)
Kings County, NY (2,486,235)
Queens County, NY (2,241,600)
New York County, NY (1,593,200)
Bronx County, NY (1,357,589)
Westchester County, NY (940,807)
Bergen County, NJ (902,561)
Hudson County, NJ (603,521)
Passaic County, NJ (499,060)
Richmond County, NY (464,573)
Rockland County, NY (292,916)
Putnam County, NY (100,507)
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division (2,808,064)
Suffolk County (1,474,927)
Nassau County (1,333,137)
Edison, NJ Metropolitan Division (2,303,709)
Middlesex County (789,516)
Monmouth County (635,952)
Ocean County (558,341)
Somerset County (319,900)
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division (2,152,978)
Essex County, NJ (791,057)
Union County, NJ (531,457)
Morris County, NJ (490,593)
Sussex County, NJ (153,130)
Hunterdon County, NJ (130,404)
Pike County, PA (56,337)
In addition to the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, the following Metropolitan Statistical Areas are also included in the New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area (total pop. 21,903,623):

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area (902,775)
Fairfield County (903,291)
New Haven-Milford, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area (846,766)
New Haven County (846,766)
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area (667,742)
Orange County (372,893)
Dutchess County (294,849)
Trenton-Ewing, NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area (366,256)
Mercer County (366,256)
Torrington, CT Micropolitan Statistical Area (190,071)
Litchfield County (190,071)
Kingston, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area (182,693)
Ulster County (182,693)
Many residents informally divide the area into five distinct regions, each closely related but all with some degree of an independent identity:

The Five Boroughs (NYC Proper)
Long Island (Geographically divided from other three suburban regions)
Connecticut (Used to refer only to Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield Counties; politically divided as result of state border)
Hudson Valley (Lower Hudson Valley Suburbs of Westchester, Putnam and Rockland Counties and Mid-Hudson Exurbs of Dutchess, Orange and Ulster Counties; features strictly controlled development north of I-287)
North Jersey (The Metropolitan areas found in the state of New Jersey; politically and geographically divided from rest of area)
All five areas can be (and often are) further divided. For instance, Long Island can be divided into the South and North Shores (usually when speaking about Nassau County), Western Suffolk, and the East End.

Note: The Hudson Valley and Connecticut are sometimes grouped together and referred to as the Northern Suburbs, largely because of the shared usage of Metro-North Railroad.

Note: Sixty-three percent of the population (13,730,534) lives in the 43% of the land area that is east of the Ambrose Channel/The Narrows/Hudson River; Thirty-seven percent of the population (8,128,296) lives in the 57% of the land area that is west of the Ambrose Channel/The Narrows/Hudson River.
NY Metro area median household income $50,795.
wow 3 to 5k difference than nyc by itself.

Highest-income metropolitan statistical areas in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
new york county- us census
Mean family income (dollars)
138,829

Manhattan
Estimated median household income in 2005: $54,200 (it was $47,030 in 2000)
Manhattan $54,200
New York: $49,480

Overall, the distribution of household income in New York City is characterized by tremendous disparities. This phenomenon is especially present in Manhattan, which in 2005 was home to the wealthiest census tract with a household income of $188,697, as well as the poorest, where household income was $9,320.[19] The disparity is driven by wage growth in high income brackets. In 2006 the average weekly wage in Manhattan was $1,453, the highest among the largest counties in the United States.[20] Wages in Manhattan were the fastest growing among the nation's 10 largest counties.[20] Among young adults in New York who work full time, women now make more than men. In 2005 those women made $5,000 more than men.[21] Nationally, women’s wages still lag behind men.

Overall, Manhattan is one of the highest-income places in the United States with a population over one million. In particular, ZIP code 10021 on Manhattan's Upper East Side, with over 100,000 inhabitants and a per capita income of over $90,000, is one of the largest concentrations of extreme wealth in the United States. The outer boroughs, especially Queens and Staten Island, have large middle class populations.

New York City's per capita income in 2000 was $22,402; men and women had a median income of $37,435 and $32,949 respectively. 21.2% of the population and 18.5% of families were below the poverty line, of whom 30.0% were under the age of 18 and 17.8% were 65 and older.

The richest New Yorker, oil magnate David H. Koch, is worth an estimated $12 billion.[22] The poorest New Yorkers, 1.5 million people with incomes below the poverty line, are collectively worth less than Mr. Koch's net worth. Of Forbes Magazine's 400 richest Americans, 45 live in New York City, and they are each worth at least $1 billion.[22]


Demographics of New York City - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So is ny metro wealthy if 5% of the population holds all the wealth. Or is it better to have a city with less disparity.

[sagegriot]

Originally Posted by kjg1963

Our household makes just about $100K but I still feel like the lowest of the lower middle class. We can't even afford to buy a home, we're still renting.

Unfortunately, our culture measures wealth in terms of income instead of net worth, so having a relatively high income does not support any feelings of wealth in a high cost of living area.

[pennylove76]

Sagegriot, I agree. What's the point of having a high above average income if you still can't afford some of the things you would like to have...like a house.
However, with regard to NYC, I know many people that live there and deal with not being able to a house or have a car, because they love the city so much..

For example my friend and his girlfriend. They live in Manhattan. He makes over a $125k and she makes just over $90k and they live in a 1 bedroom apartment. (Which, they only got because someone died...long story). Anyway, they could probably move to Jersey City or some part of North Jersey and find a house. However, like a million others living in Manhattan, they want to be right there. They want to be where the action is.

So sure you can live in a place where a household salary of $30k will buy you a house and other amenities that you enjoy. However, if you want to live in a place and enjoy the same amenties that a million other people may want, at some point it will beome overcrowded. And, that when you have an issue of supply and demand. The demand is more than the supply and as a result people pay for the shortage......i.e. NYC, DC suburbs, Chicago..etc, etc.

[ReefAreCoolToo]

yippy we are the wealthiest state but darn look at the health of the state in general...more and more people living in **** condition, no health insurace as they are not offered or cant afford it. Factor the whole thing in, we might be in the same rank as maybe Alabama!