How many can you guess?
As home prices continue to soar in many cities across the U.S., SmartAsset put together a list of cities that are best for Americans earning the average income.
Below are the top 6 and we're pretty sure you can't guess them (tell us how you did in the message board below).
The average American earns about $55,775 per year, so the study looks at where consumers earning $55,000 would be best off. It considers factors such as entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents, average commute, housing costs and the unemployment rate.
The study takes data from the U.S. Census Bureau to find the top cities for middle-class Americans. It ranks each city across all nine metrics, giving each equal weight. The final score resulted in a ranking between 0 and 100.
Here are the top six best cities to live in with a $55,000 salary, and their overall index score:
6. Cheektowaga, New York – 80.7
Median household income: $52,229
Housing cost as a percent of income: 17.6%
Unemployment rate: 6.6%
Average time to work: 19.2 minutes
Entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents: 4.1
5. Boise, Idaho – 83.08
Median household income: $55,309
Housing cost as a percent of income: 20.1%
Unemployment rate: 7.2%
Average time to work: 18 minutes
Entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents: 4.1
4. Santa Fe, New Mexico – 84.9
Median household income: $53,635
Housing cost as a percent of income: 21.5%
Unemployment rate: 8.2%
Average time to work: 18.7 minutes
Entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents: 9.9
3. Sioux Falls, South Dakota – 88.67
Median household income: $53,802
Housing cost as a percent of income: 18.7%
Unemployment rate: 4.5%
Average time to work: 16.7 minutes
Entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents: 8.2
2. Billings, Montana – 97.48
Median household income: $58,375
Housing cost as a percent of income: 20.6%
Unemployment rate: 3.9%
Average time to work: 17.5 minutes
Entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents: 10.7
1. Bismarck, North Dakota – 100
Median household income: $57,596
Housing cost as a percent of income: 18.6%
Unemployment rate: 2.1%
Average time to work: 16.7 minutes
Entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents: 4.8
