4 ms·

Median family income is extremely deceptive in NYC, because adults typically cannot afford to live without roommates. Median household income is $48,631. The a

by hapless 14y ago

Median family income is extremely deceptive in NYC, because adults typically cannot afford to live without roommates. Median household income is $48,631. The arithmetic average wage is around 37k. By any measurement, 180k is a hell of a lot of money for two retirees living alone. That's over double the average wages of two working adults. That is quite wealthy, even in NYC. (I just looked it up: median income for a black man over 65 in New York is $14,400 a year. For his female companion, $9,966. These people are earning roughly 8x the median for their demographic.) Edit: As a local, I'm really, really sick of hearing that the "middle class" in NYC includes 200k households. Because it doesn't. HN posters, such as myself, are privileged individuals. We forget about the veritable sea of average workers underneath us on the income scale.

grecy 14y ago
> We forget about the veritable sea of average workers underneath us on the income scale. If you ever need a reminder, hang around a McDonald's in the early morning and watch the number and kind of people that are obviously eating it every day. That was one of the most shocking things about NYC for me, coming from another country.
- apaprocki 14y ago
  I wouldn't jump to conclusions that it is due to income. There are many other reasons why that might be the case, such as convenience. It's the Starbucks, Duane Reade, Chase, etc. model of retail -- put one every 2 blocks, sometimes on the same block across the street -- because people are lazy and will go somewhere convenient, even if it isn't in their best interests. If people were truly concerned about budget, they would cook at home and not pay McDonalds to cook their food. (http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/09/12/does-cooking-at-home-really-beat-the-mcdonalds-1-double-cheeseburger/ http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/09/12/does-cooking-at-ho...)
  - grecy 14y ago
    You forget that 'poor' doesn't only refer to the amount of money a person has. These people are 'time poor' too.

by hapless 14y ago

grecy 14y ago

> We forget about the veritable sea of average workers underneath us on the income scale. If you ever need a reminder, hang around a McDonald's in the early morning and watch the number and kind of people that are obviously eating it every day. That was one of the most shocking things about NYC for me, coming from another country.

apaprocki 14y ago
I wouldn't jump to conclusions that it is due to income. There are many other reasons why that might be the case, such as convenience. It's the Starbucks, Duane Reade, Chase, etc. model of retail -- put one every 2 blocks, sometimes on the same block across the street -- because people are lazy and will go somewhere convenient, even if it isn't in their best interests. If people were truly concerned about budget, they would cook at home and not pay McDonalds to cook their food. (http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/09/12/does-cooking-at-home-really-beat-the-mcdonalds-1-double-cheeseburger/ http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/09/12/does-cooking-at-ho...)
- grecy 14y ago
  You forget that 'poor' doesn't only refer to the amount of money a person has. These people are 'time poor' too.