What It Takes to Be Rich—Where You Live

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Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" 3 john 1:2

Dino of NY 9:04PM January 25, 2011

Since I live in Washington DC, I think the numbers in the 2 categories (no kids and a family of four) in the top 20% of households are how much it takes to live a good, comfortable life (but not be rich/wealthy), and the numbers for the 2 categories in the top 5% of households is what it takes to be rich/wealthy, and thus upper-class.

Taylor Nickels of DC 4:41PM August 14, 2010

Every time I wake up an go into the shower, I thank god that I live in the 21st century and have a warm waterfall to get clean every day of my life. After some recent visits to 3rd-world countries, it's the little things like this that make me VERY happy !!!
Yes, ALL americans are rich. And the benefits of making $300k vs. making $100k are hardly noticeable any more. In fact, the Japanese know this and there is a price point, somewhere around the Toyota Camry, where they put their absolute best engineers and best car-builders, and these are the best cars on the planet. The rich go and waste their hard-earned money on gas guzzlers like Lamborghinis, which spend a significant amount of time in the shop, broken, and so the rich are not as happy as everyone thinks. The same is true of many products "marketed to the rich".
Being squarely middle class, or just slightly above middle class, is the optimal life style in the USA. The temptation to work yourself to the bone kills many of the top-5%-ers in their mid-50's. Here in America, heart disease, nervous breakdowns, marital breakdowns, drug abuse (think michael jackson), no-job = no-self-respect, and distant or resentful kids are some of the MANY afflictions of being in the top-5% that aren't mentioned in this article ...

systemBuilder of CA 12:25PM September 08, 2009

Every time I wake up an go into the shower, I thank god that I live in the 21st century and have a warm waterfall to get clean every day of my life. After some recent visits to 3rd-world countries, it's the little things like this that make me VERY happy !!!
Yes, ALL americans are rich. And the benefits of making $300k vs. making $100k are hardly noticeable any more. In fact, the Japanese know this and there is a price point, somewhere around the Toyota Camry, where they put their absolute best engineers and best car-builders, and these are the best cars on the planet. The rich go and waste their hard-earned money on gas guzzlers like Lamborghinis, which spend a significant amount of time in the shop, broken, and so the rich are not as happy as everyone thinks. The same is true of many products "marketed to the rich".
Being squarely middle class, or just slightly above middle class, is the optimal life style in the USA. The temptation to work yourself to the bone kills many of the top-5%-ers in their mid-50's. Here in America, heart disease, nervous breakdowns, marital breakdowns, drug abuse (think michael jackson), no-job = no-self-respect, and distant or resentful kids are some of the MANY afflictions of being in the top-5% that aren't mentioned in this article ...

systemBuilder of CA 12:24PM September 08, 2009

Every time I wake up an go into the shower and get me clean every day of my life. After some recent visits to 3rd-world countries, it's the little things like this that make me VERY happy !!!
Yes, ALL americans are rich. And the benefits of making $300k vs. making $100k are hardly noticeable any more. In fact, the Japanese know this and there is a price point, somewhere around the Toyotoa Camry, where they put there absolute best engineers and best car-builders, and these are the best cars on the planet. The rich go and waste their hard-earned money on gas guzzlers like Lamborghinis and they spend a significant amount of time in the shop, broken, and so the rich are not as happy as everyone thinks. The same is true of many products marketed to "the rich".
Being squarely middle class, or just slightly above middle class, is the optimal life style in the USA. The temptation to work yourself to the bone kills many of the top-5%-ers in their mid-50's, here in America (heart disturn it on, I thank god that I live in the 21st century and have a warm waterfall to ease, nervous breakdowns, marital breakdowns, distant or resentful kids are some of the other aspects of being in the top-5% that aren't mentioned in this article ...

systemBuilder of CA 12:17PM September 08, 2009

All this talk is crazy, crazy, crazy. Without being loopy religious, I say that practicing gratitude for what you have does buy happiness. I am a single disabled parent of a disabled child. Sorry I no longer pay taxes. I became disabled while serving in the Army- trust me- I'd really still rather be working. My numbers say we are in poverty, but my child LITERALLY thinks we are rich because we live within our means and I plan carefully to make sure our needs are met and creatively find ways to have fun. OK, when she is older she will probably have more problems with every single thing we own (including undergarments) being purchased used, me cutting our hair and having a car with almost 200,000 miles on it, but hey- we have no debt and live within our means and still seem to live pretty well. It is just not even the same world as these folks. We may literally be on the same planet, but really- it's not the same world.

jennifer juniper of MO 1:57AM August 13, 2009

When you are unhappy, nothing matters. $ does not fix a broken person.
Love and forgiveness do. Americans, dig deep, find what makes you tick, what moves you. I myself like a simple life and too much money complicates everything. Enough is enough.

Clancy of RI 8:29PM July 25, 2009

I am, according to the U.S. Gov't, in poverty. Yet I live and have all my needs met. The truth is that I live in abundance. America is the "Land of Plenty". Yet the Gov't declares me impoverished?
People!!! Stop whining!!! Your material needs are met. There is food on your table. There are roofs over your heads. There is clothing on your backs. Most of you drive cars with cheap, YES CHEAP, gasoline. For most of the U.S. that is...
So what?!? It might not be the newest car. The house may not be in the best neighborhood. The clothing came from Salvation Army or Wal-Mart instead of Macy's. The food may not be a nightly feast of Lobster and Steak. The television may not be the High Definition set that you want. And your computer might only have one gigabyte of RAM...So what!?! Be thankful for what you have.
Go to work for what you want. Yes...Even if you are unemployed you can work for yourself at something that you want to do. What a concept?!? And when your business gets rooted then you can hire others to enrichen them as well.
As impoverished as I am, as unhealthy as I am, I sit and write these words...in the comfort and splendor that 80% of the World knows not of. I thank God Almighty for the blessings that I have received. Jesus Christ's sacrifice on Calvary has made this real for me, as well as most of His followers, here in the U.S. I thank you for the support that you have given me.
Yes I am rich...impoverished as I am.

Tom of CA 8:44AM July 12, 2009

ok look god freak
i would rather be unhappy and rich than unhappy and poor. money does buy happiness ask my wife who drives a lambo spyder.

max of TX 10:54AM July 02, 2009

fools - only we hard working middle class americans pay taxes. the congress doesnt pay taxes and most very poor and very rich dont pay taxes. but here this no politicians that have a brain pay much taxes at all. i am 53 and have lived a while, i am very concerned to the point of leaving the us. we have become a third world country and now with obama we are really going to be slaughtered. have you noticed that the police have now taken off the saying to protect and serve? police in the us are like bandits in mexico - they are no better. we are nothing more than income for the police and government, food for the rest of the world. i tell you this - we "the us" are up $hit creek! there needs to be allot of changes in the us - thing is i dont have the time left in my life to do that. so i am going to educated my kids and grand kids of how the world should be and teach them to travel the world if they have to find the place which will give them a good life. to be loyal to no country at all ever. be a drifter and let the world be your dinner table. of course they will have money to do this because i have made a ton. more so i know how to make money i have the formula anyone can get it study all rich self made men. the blue prints are there.

max of TX 10:28AM July 02, 2009