The 10 Worst Cities for Middle Class Families
To be fair, Sin City may not be aiming to be a hot spot for families looking to settle down. The city offers less than half of the 574 middle class job types evaluated by Chapman University, the lowest percentage in the country.
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The high cost of living and housing in New York is already driving families out, with the city ranking among the lowest in the country in migration for families with children. Renters in New York spend 40 percent of their income on housing.
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While Riverside has seen a recent influx of immigrants and college-educated workers, wages haven’t increased and the cost of living remains extremely high. The city also ranks poorly on measures of economic opportunity.
Bakersfield ranks low on the list due in part to a large population of residents living in poverty. The area also has a high cost of living relative to typical wages.
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Affordable housing is tough to come by in Miami, where many renters spend 40 percent of their income on rent. That’s particularly tough for families with young children.
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Despite having seen a decent increase in jobs in the finance industry, this Texas city still has a large population living in poverty. The city ranked at the bottom of the list for income relative to the local cost of living.
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Modesto scored poorly when looking at income adjusted for the cost of living. The city was hit hard during the recession and doesn’t offer much economic opportunity for middle class families, according to the report.
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Stockton’s high percentage of residents living below poverty is one factor that gave Stockton a poor score on this list. Residents of the metro area also have to contend with extremely long commutes.
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In addition to a high cost of living, Los Angeles scored poorly thanks to its notoriously long commute times, which are not conducive to working families. Home prices in the city of angels are unaffordable for middle class families.
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Fresno topped the list due to a high population of residents living under the poverty line and low incomes relative to its cost of living. The city, which was hit particularly hard by the recession, also ranked poorly on measures of economic opportunity, median family income, and percentage of middle class jobs.