I'm not sure about that. The cost of living is a lot higher in major cities like NYC. They may earn more in absolute dollars, but comparing the purchasing power

I'm not sure about that. The cost of living is a lot higher in major cities like NYC. They may earn more in absolute dollars, but comparing the purchasing power with their counterparts in less populous parts of the country, I would guess that poor New Yorkers are much worse off, even when you consider the added costs for owning a decent used car in other areas.