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Re:Americans' life ratings reach record high by rayiner on Sunday July 25, 2021 @05:44PM (#27953198)
There’s only a handful of cities that I’d call “boom towns” (in that a singular industry creates intense income inequality). Dallas is booming, but it’s got a well-diversified economy with prosperous but affordable suburbs. Same thing for Atlanta, Kansas City, etc.

Lots of rural areas and small cities have broadly shared prosperity too. I was very surprised when I went to East Texas and saw the brand new strip malls and shiny pickup trucks everywhere. (Along with a very racially diverse and integrated population driving those trucks and eating at the new big box restaurants. I was completely unsurprised to see Trump doing better than expected among Latinos in Texas.)

NYC, DC, and SF are probably the only cities I’d put in that category. Maybe Seattle. That’s only 12% of the population.

Re:Americans' life ratings reach record high by alisonkisk on Sunday July 25, 2021 @06:46PM (#27953655)
Those shiny pickup trucks are short term before the repo man shows up.
Re:Americans' life ratings reach record high by rayiner on Sunday July 25, 2021 @10:00PM (#27954737)
The median household income in Jefferson County, Texas is $51,000. The median home price is $135,000. That's under 3x.

The median household income in San Francisco is $120,000, but the median home price is $1.5-2 million, depending on source. That's 12-16x.

A $500/month truck payment isn't putting people on the edge of financial ruin when you're talking about an $800/month mortgage versus a $6,500/month mortgage.

Re:Americans' life ratings reach record high by omegaham on Sunday July 25, 2021 @07:24PM (#27953878)
In towns whose livelihood depends on a feast-or-famine industry like oil, yes. In cities with strong, diversified economies, it's just people spending disposable income on stuff they want.