Business & Tech
Here’s How Much You Need To Earn To Be Rich In Philly
A new report has crunched numbers to determine how much money you need to make to be considered "rich" in Philadelphia.

A new report has crunched numbers to determine how much money you need to make to be considered “rich” in Philadelphia. Business Insider looked at several factors in 42 of the countries largest cities to determine what income residents need to be considered above-middle-class.
About one in five Americans is considered upper-income, meaning they earned at least twice the national median household income of $59,039 in 2016, according to the Pew Research Center. Business Insider says that overall in the U.S., you’d have to earn $118,080 to be rich.
But that isn’t true for many cities, including Philadelphia, where that number is actually higher. Residents here need to make $131,992 to be considered rich, the analysis says.
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PHILADELPHIA
- Income it takes to be considered rich: $131,992
- Money it takes to be in the top 1 percent: $360,343
- Median income: $65,996
- Metro-area population: 6.1 million
Compared to Memphis, Tennessee, where residents must earn at least $99,618 to be rich, these might seem steep. But at least we’re not San Jose, California.
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In San Jose, residents have to earn a whopping $220,080 or more to be considered rich.
Here are some other cities on the list:
NEW YORK CITY
- Income needed to be considered rich: $143,794
- Money it takes to be in the top 1 percent: $517,557
- Median income: $71,897
- Metro-area population: 20.2 million
BOSTON
- Income needed to be considered rich: $164,760
- Money it takes to be in the top 1 percent: $539,055
- Median income: $82,380
- Metro-area population: 4.8 million
WASHINGTON D.C.
- Income needed to be considered rich: $191,686
- Money it takes to be in the top 1 percent: $544,719
- Median income: $95,843
- Metro-area population: 4.8 million
Click here to read the full report.
Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.
Photo credit: The Philadelphia skyline at Citizens Bank Park on April by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
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