
How Much Money Does It Take To Be Considered Wealthy In The U.S.?

The United States is a large and diverse country with big regional variances and even noticeable differences from one city to another. Everything from the food people eats to the way they dress to the way they talk can be night-and-day different in different parts of the country.
But it’s not just the food we eat and the way we dress that can be hugely varied. How much money people make can also vary widely depending upon where you are in the country. The reasons for that are complicated, but they can be dramatic too.

Virsuziglis/ Getty | Depending on where you live, a net worth totaling millions of dollars may still be considered merely “comfortable”
To be considered “rich,” a household must earn twice that, or a minimum salary of $130,545. However, you also need to be in the top 20% of earners to be considered rich, which looks a little different in each city. In other words, $130,545 might not get you very far in New York City. That’s without even get into wage inequality and income distributions.
Cost of living supported with research
Researchers found a massive difference between what low-earners and high-earners make in 100 of the country’s largest cities and that in some cities, it takes hundreds of thousands of dollars more a year in earnings to become “rich.”

Virsuziglis/ Getty Images/ iStockphoto | There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich
In San Francisco, the difference between the top 20% and bottom 20% of households exceeds $213k, meaning the wealthiest earn seven times more than their working-class counterparts. In 36 cities in the United States, the difference between the minimum income threshold for the top earners and the maximum income threshold for the bottom earners exceeds a difference of $100k.
In states where the threshold to be in the wealthiest 20% of households is the highest, the overall cost of living also tends to be high. For example, in Massachusetts, where only households earning at least $171.6k are in the top 20%, goods and services are about 10% more expensive than they are on average nationwide.
In 2018, the average amount needed to attain monetary contentment was $1.4 million, but by 2021, it was only $624k and was bumped up to $774k this year. Experts believe that may be because people simply learned to adjust their lifestyles and their financial outlooks after living through the pandemic.

f11photo/ Getty Images/ iStockphoto | The road to riches is never straight and narrow
The exact amount considered wealthy in 12 major metropolitan areas
- Atlanta: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $2.5 million
- Boston: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $2.7 million
- Chicago: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $2.5 million
- Dallas: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $2.6 million
- Denver: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $2.3 million
- Houston: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $2.6 million
- New York: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $3.4 million
- Phoenix: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $2.7 million
- San Francisco: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $5.1 million
- Seattle: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $3.2 million
- Southern California: Average net worth it takes to be wealthy: $3.9 million
More in Wealth
-
`
All You Need To Know About The Cost Of Living
When you pay your monthly bills, you probably notice that certain expenses rarely change by much. This list includes things like...
July 23, 2022 -
`
Ways You Can Upscale Your Freelancing Career
According to a 2021 Freelance Forward Report by the Upwork platform, nearly 59 million Americans are getting employment through freelancing. For...
July 17, 2022 -
`
How Pakistan Is Dealing With Wealth Inequality That Prevails In The Country
It is very important that the government must intervene to address the wealth inequality in Pakistan. Relying on markets and competition...
June 27, 2022 -
`
A Healthy Lifestyle Is The Best Way To Prevent Alzheimer’s – Here’s What You Need To Do
You might have grown up hearing that Alzheimer’s is an old-age disease. Well, contrary to popular misconception, Alzheimer’s can strike someone...
June 22, 2022 -
`
A Tech Bust? Goodbye To The Good Times In Silicon Valley
Have you ever visited a party, only to see the guests starting to leave? Although the music is playing and the food...
June 13, 2022 -
`
2 Best Budget Influencers & Bloggers to Follow in 2022
Budgeting is by far the most important factor in life. Whether you are a 9 to 5 worker or a solopreneur,...
May 24, 2022 -
`
Tips For Business Moguls
To succeed in business today, you need to be flexible and have good planning and organizational skills. Many people start a...
May 12, 2022 -
`
How to Take Back Control Over Your Finances When Everything Else Is Falling Apart
The widespread disruption to normal life caused by the coronavirus pandemic not only halted the social lives of Americans but also...
May 7, 2022 -
`
Why It’s Important to Know EXACTLY What Your Job Title Entails
Job titles and descriptions serve as a way for applicants and eventual hires to have a clear idea of what kind...
April 27, 2022
You must be logged in to post a comment Login