(NEXSTAR) – Have you ever wondered how your income stacks up against your neighbors? New data analysis by Go Banking Rates shows how much you need to make to be considered rich in 50 U.S. cities.
The site used U.S. Census Bureau income data to determine the salary a household needs to earn to be in the city’s top 20% of earners – what they define as “rich.”
In Sacramento, you’ll need to earn $121,986 or more to be considered a “rich” person in the top 20% of the city’s approximate 500,930 residents.
The ultra-rich, or the top 5% of earners in Sacramento, make way more: $345,526 on average, according to the analysis.
In nearly every city Go Banking Rates studied, you’d need a six-figure salary to qualify as “rich.” In some of the priciest spots, you need to be bringing home much more.
Top 10 cities with the highest average income needed to be considered ‘rich’
Rank | City | Lowest Average Income to be Considered ‘Rich” |
1 | San Francisco, Calif. | $239,840 |
2 | San Jose, Calif. | $214,975 |
3 | Washington, District of Columbia | $189,293 |
4 | Seattle, Wash. | $186,063 |
5 | Oakland, Calif. | $161,345 |
6 | Boston, Mass. | $159,024 |
7 | San Diego, Calif. | $157,252 |
8 | Austin, Texas | $145,166 |
9 | New York City, New York | $144,541 |
10 | Denver, Colo. | $141,801 |
Four California cities – San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and San Diego – made the list of the top 10 cities with the highest average income needed to be considered “rich.”
Los Angeles ranked 13th at $135,373 average income needed and Long Beach ranked 19th at $127,021 needed. Sacramento ranked 21st in the list of 50 cities.
Of the 50 cities included, Detroit was the one with the lowest threshold to enter the top 20%. Earning $66,139 or more would land you in the top fifth of the city’s earners.
Nationwide, the Census found the median household income was $67,521 in 2020. That’s a nearly 3% decline from the year before, the first statistically significant drop and perhaps not a big surprise given the pandemic and ensuing economic fallout.
The poverty rate also climbed in 2020 to 11.4%.
See the full list from Go Banking Rates here.