The typical worker in every one of the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas earns less than what’s needed to maintain a middle-class lifestyle, according to a new analysis from MyPerfectResume.
Using data from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the report estimated the annual income required for a single adult to cover essentials including housing, transportation, healthcare, food, retirement savings, and a modest financial cushion.
Typical Workers Earn About Half of What’s Needed
Across the 50 metros analyzed, the estimated income needed for a middle-class lifestyle averaged $104,681 per year. By comparison, the average median wage was $52,460, leaving workers roughly $52,000 short.
Not one metro had a median wage that reached the estimated threshold.
San Jose had the highest income requirement at $156,908, while Honolulu recorded the largest affordability gap, where median earnings would need to increase by nearly 177% to reach the estimated middle-class benchmark.
High Costs Extend Beyond Major Coastal Cities
Eight metropolitan areas—including San Jose, Honolulu, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Seattle—required more than $130,000 annually for a middle-class lifestyle.
Lower-cost cities offered some relief but still fell well short. Birmingham, Memphis, and Tulsa had the lowest income thresholds in the study, yet median wages in those markets remained $38,000 to $41,000 below the estimated level needed for financial stability.
Rising Living Costs Continue to Outpace Pay
The report attributes the widening gap to years of housing, healthcare, and other living expenses rising faster than median wages. It argues that while unemployment remains low, many full-time workers still struggle to achieve long-term financial stability based on local living costs.
