This is the fourth in a series of posts that explore the myths and realities of America’s urban-rural divide. This week we focus on trends in wages and salaries across urban and rural places. For an overview of the series and the data and methodology we use, see the first post in this series.
Wages are a key indicator of the productivity and affluence of cities and regions. There is no doubt that wage and salary levels, as well as their growth, have been widely uneven across American communities, with some winners and many losers. But the pattern does not conform to the simple notion of urban success and rural decline.
Wages and salaries are highest in urban areas. In 2016, counties in large and medium-sized metropolitan areas had median wages and salaries above $40,000. This compared to roughly $37,000 for the nation as a whole. Several large urban counties, like New York, Santa Clara, and San Mateo, had median wages and salaries of more than $100,000. All types of urban counties had wages and salaries that were higher than the national median, while only one type of rural county did—large rural counties adjacent to a metro area.
[For more on this story by Richard Florida, go to https://www.citylab.com/life/2...r-rural-ones/571534/]
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