NYC has tons of people who are living in rent regulated housing, but ignoring that, the average price is still shifted upwards by tons of apartments in manhatta

NYC has tons of people who are living in rent regulated housing, but ignoring that, the average price is still shifted upwards by tons of apartments in manhattan that cost far more than the median. So assuming everyone is paying market rates, it's still not difficult to find an apartment that costs less than 2000/month, just look at zillow. Additionally, childcare costs fall dramatically once your child is 3/4 years old as NYC has universal pre K with later cutoffs than other parts of the country. There would also be additional tax savings if you were married. Add on the fact that you likely have far lower transportation costs than households in other parts of the country, and it makes more sense. Couples with a child who make 120k a year in NYC would not be precariat like members of the working class, they'd be able to save money and likely buy a home someday. Just because they might be better off somewhere else in the country, doesn't mean they're not middle class. The middle class still struggles with more limited options around finances, what I will say is that the amount you need to earn to be in the upper class in NYC is far higher than in other cities.