--- description: America's richest people may have stories of sudden wealth, but for most people the journey to financial security is slow and steady title: It's Easier to Get Rich in These 10 U.S. Cities image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcadcd2bc16d642ae/6988e369096a9466a66a0290/toledo-wealth-cities.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Living](/tag/time-section-living/) ## Living Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # It's Easier to Get Rich in These 10 U.S. Cities by [Tanza Loudenback / Business Insider](/author/business-insider/) ## Tanza Loudenback / Business Insider Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 25, 2017 5:29 PM CUT  Looking down the Maumee River, from an elevated view, we have Toledo, Ohio. The colorful and clean skyline is reflected on the calm river Looking down the Maumee River, from an elevated view, we have Toledo, Ohio. The colorful and clean skyline is reflected on the calm riverGetty Images by [Tanza Loudenback / Business Insider](/author/business-insider/) ## Tanza Loudenback / Business Insider Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 25, 2017 5:29 PM CUT [America’s richest people](http://www.businessinsider.com/americas-richest-people-wealthiest-billionaires-2017-10 "undefined") may have stories of sudden wealth and start-up success, but for most people in the US the journey to financial security is slow and steady. After all, building wealth isn’t just about income. It’s about keeping your major expenses low so you can focus on saving and investing, and that may start with choosing the right place to live. Housing costs account for about [37% of take-home pay](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cesmy.nr0.htm "undefined") for the average American. Many people spend [even more](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-rent-afford-2017-6 "undefined"). In some circumstances — if you live in San Francisco or New York, for instance, where affordability is increasingly difficult to come by — spending a lot on rent or a mortgage is unavoidable. But making a few sacrifices on housing expenses today could lead to significant savings — and [a far more comfortable future](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-retire-by-income-2017-6 "undefined"). [New data from HowMuch.net](https://howmuch.net/articles/hours-work-afford-home "undefined") reveals the cities where the average monthly mortgage payment takes up the smallest share of the median paycheck, enabling residents to build wealth by saving and investing the extra money. The [standard measure of housing affordability](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-rent-afford-2017-6 "undefined") says Americans should spend no more than 30% of pre-tax income on housing. In the 10 cities below, the average homeowner spends 16% or less of their income on their mortgage payment. For each city, we’ve [included](https://howmuch.net/sources/hours-work-afford-home "undefined") the median annual income, median home listing price, monthly mortgage payment assuming a 30-year fixed rate, and the percentage of income that goes toward housing. **_Read more:_**[_9 places in the US where people are happier, living longer, and least likely to run out of money_](http://www.businessinsider.com/us-news-best-us-states-for-aging-2017-10 "undefined") ### 10\. Columbus, Ohio  Scioto river with waterfall and Columbus Ohio skyline, USA Getty Images **Median listing price:** $163,840 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $597 **Median household income:** $45,659 **Income spent on housing:** 15.7% ### 9\. Indianapolis, Indiana  Indianapolis skyline in the distance with houses and the Indiana Central Canal / Canal Walk in the foreground. Getty Images **Median listing price:** $145,000 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $529 **Median household income:** $41,987 **Income spent on housing:** 15.1% ### 8\. Milwaukee, Wisconsin  Getty Images **Median listing price:** $124,800 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $452 **Median household income:** $35,958 **Income spent on housing:** 15% ### 7\. Fort Wayne, Indiana  "Downtown Fort Wayne, IndianaMore Fort Wayne images" Getty Images **Median listing price:** $149,900 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $543 **Median household income:** $43,774 **Income spent on housing:** 14.9% ### 6\. Wichita, Kansas  Wichita, Kansas downtown skyline during Autumn, with Autumn trees in the foreground. Getty Images **Median listing price:** $153,900 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $558 **Median household income:** $45,947 **Income spent on housing:** 14.6% **_Read more:_** [_The 7 steps to making more money, according to a self-made millionaire_](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-more-money-self-made-millionaire-2017-9 "undefined") ### 5\. Baltimore, Maryland  Visiting boats and ships at the Baltimore City Bicentennial of the War of 1812. Getty Images **Median listing price:** $139,000 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $504 **Median household income:** $42,241 **Income spent on housing:** 14.3% ### 4\. Buffalo, New York  Getty Images **Median listing price:** $90,000 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $327 **Median household income:** $31,918 **Income spent on housing:** 12.3% ### 3\. Cleveland, Ohio  Downtown skyline Cleveland, Ohio at sunset. Getty Images **Median listing price:** $70,000 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $255 **Median household income:** $26,150 **Income spent on housing:** 10.3% ### 2\. Memphis, Tennessee  Photo of colorful cafe bars at the iconic Beale Street music and entertainment district of downtown Memphis, Tennessee, USA, illuminated at night. Getty Images/iStockphoto **Median listing price:** $88,500 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $321 **Median household income:** $36,445 **Income spent on housing:** 10.6% **_Read more:_** [_The 9 highest-paying jobs for millennials_](http://www.businessinsider.com/highest-paying-jobs-america-best-jobs-millennials-2017-10 "undefined") ### 1\. Toledo, Ohio  Looking down the Maumee River, from an elevated view, we have Toledo, Ohio. The colorful and clean skyline is reflected on the calm river Getty Images **Median listing price:** $74,900 **Monthly mortgage payment:** $273 **Median household income:** $33,687 **Income spent on housing:** 9.7% _This_ [_article_](http://www.businessinsider.com/us-cities-easier-get-rich-2017-10/ "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_BusinessInsider.com_](http://www.businessinsider.com "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4996873/10-cities-get-rich/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4996873/10-cities-get-rich/"},"headline":"It's Easier to Get Rich in These 10 U.S. Cities","datePublished":"2017-10-25T17:29:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:42:11.965Z","description":"Building wealth means more than just income","url":"https://time.com/4996873/10-cities-get-rich/","keywords":["Living","Wealth","cities","onetime","bi"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcadcd2bc16d642ae/6988e369096a9466a66a0290/toledo-wealth-cities.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tanza Loudenback / Business Insider"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcadcd2bc16d642ae/6988e369096a9466a66a0290/toledo-wealth-cities.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Toledo from the Skyway Bridge","caption":"Toledo from the Skyway Bridge","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-living/","name":"Living"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4996873/10-cities-get-rich/","name":"It's Easier to Get Rich in These 10 U.S. Cities"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The 25 Best Cities for Jobs - And There Are Tons of Openings Right Now","description":"If you're looking for a job, these cities may be a good place to start.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/h7XIdeAi/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-09-13T20:33:15.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/h7XIdeAi.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4996873/10-cities-get-rich/","duration":"PT1M49S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4996873/10-cities-get-rich/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```