Interesting that the interviews were done in Minneapolis, a city I'm currently spending the summer in. This city is big on public services - public transportati

Interesting that the interviews were done in Minneapolis, a city I'm currently spending the summer in. This city is big on public services - public transportation is particularly good. Probably everyone in that article took the Metro to the Mall. The libraries are plentiful and excellent, and there are really good amenities in Downtown. The rent/home prices around here is also astonishingly good (Note: I'm from LA). Heck I'm renting a 1500 sq ft. house with a garage and a yard for $1500/mo, and that's kinda pricey. You could probably find a reasonable 1Br around here for $400/mo. tl dr: $30k really is middle class in some American communities.