- States With the Most Irresponsible Drivers – 2022 Edition
Traffic fatalities are rising on American roadways, once again highlighting the importance of safe driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic deaths spiked 10.5% in 2021 when 42,915 people were killed in crashes. That uptick followed a particularly harrowing 2020, which saw 38,824 motor vehicle fatalities. It had been the deadliest year… read more…
- Best Cities for Working Parents – 2022 Edition
Life is tough for working moms and dads, and the pandemic has exacerbated the stress that parents in the workforce face. A new report from The Ohio State University shows that roughly 66% of working parent respondents met the criteria for burnout. Financial concerns are top of mind for many parents, especially as the prices… read more…
- Best Cities for Women in Tech – 2022 Edition
The U.S. tech industry has steadily grown year-over-year and is projected to see another 178,000 tech jobs enter the market in 2022. But while the industry’s median income continues to skyrocket above the national median income, women only make up 26.1% of all tech workers and earn just 84% of what men do. Depending on… read more…
- Where Elevated Gas Prices Are Highest (and Lowest) Relative to Incomes – 2022 Study
After months of climbing gas prices, the national average has hit new highs, reaching $5 per gallon of regular gasoline in June. According to recent data from AAA, the national average for regular gasoline was $4.98 per gallon on June 20, 2022. With these significant increases, Americans across the country are looking for new ways… read more…
- Cities Where Renters Can Afford to Live Alone – 2022 Edition
Rent prices are rising rapidly in many of America’s largest cities. Nationally, average rent increased by 11.3% between the start of 2021 and 2022. To more comfortably afford housing costs, some renters opt to share a space. The Pew Research Center reports that nearly one in three adults have a roommate. However, many people prefer… read more…
- Best Places to Live on a $65,000 Salary – 2022 Edition
As of April 2022, the 12-month inflation rate is 8.3% and the highest it has been in over 20 years. Among other things, this has translated to a higher cost of living for many Americans. According to a report from the Capital One Insights Center, only 18% of consumers said their wages kept up with the… read more…
- Best Cities for First-Time Homebuyers – 2022 Edition
As home prices continue to skyrocket, it has become increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to afford a home. In April 2021, U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) sponsored federal legislation that would create a refundable tax credit of up to $15,000 for first-time homebuyers, similar to the one included in the 2008 Housing and Economic Recovery Act.… read more…
- Where Seniors Are Most and Least Financially Secure – 2022 Edition
American seniors have many financial considerations to take into account as they navigate their golden years. Retirement income, savings, tax burdens and inflation are a few common examples. The Global Retirement Index from the French investment manager Natixis says that 41% of American respondents believe a miracle would need to happen in order to be… read more…
- Best Places for Outdoor Enthusiasts to Live and Work – 2022 Edition
Outdoor activities can add up quickly when you consider equipment, gear and apparel. For instance, the average bicycle costs upwards of $300, with some bikes costing thousands of dollars, depending on make and model. Similarly, skiing is a particularly expensive outdoor activity, with most annual ski passes costing nearly $1,000. Other outdoor activities, such as… read more…
- Hours of Work Needed to Pay Rent in the 25 Largest Cities – 2022 Edition
When it comes to housing costs, a general financial rule says not to spend more than 30% of your pre-tax income on this inevitable expense. But though the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that Americans paid roughly 25% of their income on housing expenses in 2020, residents in larger cities generally have to put in… read more…
- Cities With the Most Female Six-Figure Earners – 2022 Edition
Many Americans agree that amid rising prices and economic uncertainty today, it takes a six-figure salary to get by. However, women continue to be underrepresented in higher-paying jobs. According to 2020 Census data, women make up less than 30% of six-figure earners in the U.S. And while this figure marks progress from a decade prior… read more…
- Best Cities for an Affordable Wedding – 2022 Edition
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many betrothed couples delayed their nuptials out of caution or in adherence to safety guidelines. Because of this, the wedding industry saw a dramatic fall in revenue (-35.7%) from 2019 to 2020, and average wedding costs fell 21.6% simultaneously. However, spending has since normalized. In fact, average wedding costs are on the rise… read more…
- Top 10 Rising Housing Markets – 2022 Edition
Even though the median home price in the U.S. has soared to new heights, some housing markets are rising faster than others. The temperature of a housing market can heat up and cool down based on a variety of factors. Places where the population is growing faster than the development of new housing units are… read more…
- Cities With the Best Work-Life Balance – 2022 Edition
The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new stressors into daily life as employees try to balance potentially longer hours, increased demands at home and continued uncertainty regarding work culture looking forward. As a result, a healthy work-life balance has become increasingly difficult to achieve. A 2021 survey from Indeed says that 52% of workers report feeling… read more…
- Best Cities for an Early Retirement – 2022 Study
Fewer Americans plan to work past the age of 62. In a March 2022 survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 49.2% of Americans plan to work past the age of 62, a figure that is 6.2%… read more…
- Best Cities for New College Grads – 2022 Edition
The time that follows college graduation can be an exciting period in the life of a recent graduate. This is when they enter the workforce, take on new responsibilities, and perhaps, move to a new city. A college diploma can also start to pay off almost immediately. In 2021, full-time workers between 22 and 27… read more…
- Price-to-Rent Ratio in the 50 Largest U.S. Cities – 2022 Edition
Transitioning from renting to buying a home is a major financial milestone. But rising prices have made home buying more challenging for millions of Americans. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis says that the median home sales price increased 30% between the first quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2022, reaching $428,700. And rents are shooting upward… read more…
- Most Affordable Beach Towns – 2022 Edition
Buying a home in 2022 has become very expensive. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, which tracks the purchase prices of single family homes, says that prices rose 19.2% in the one-year period ending in January 2022. When you add in proximity to the water, prices can be even more discouraging. However, there… read more…
- Best Places for Asian American Entrepreneurs – 2022 Study
Asian Americans make up just under 5% of the total adult population in the U.S., but own roughly 10% of all U.S. businesses. And as the Asian American population is expected to more than double from roughly 22 million in 2019 to over 46 million in 2060, many more Asian American entrepreneurs across the country… read more…
- Survey: Financial Advisor and Client Communications in 2022
During times of economic instability, financial advice is often in high demand. As increased inflation and the Russia-Ukraine War continue to shake financial markets, many individuals working with financial professionals may rely more heavily on them for advice and planning.… read more…
- Most Livable Small Cities in the U.S. – 2022 Edition
Despite the perception that the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a mass migration out of cities, the data simply does not support that narrative. According to Pew Research, fewer people moved out of cities in 2020 compared with the years leading up… read more…
- Best Community Colleges in America – 2022 Edition
No sector of higher education has been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than community colleges. While enrollment across all higher education institutions fell 5.1% between fall 2019 and fall 2021, public two-year colleges have suffered the steepest drop in enrollment during that time, falling by 13.1%, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse… read more…
- Best States for the Middle Class – 2022 Edition
Historically, the middle class has been the largest economic group in the U.S. and currently remains so. However, it is an economic group whose numbers have steadily declined year-over-year. More families are renting than buying homes in recent years and the number of families considered cost-burdened (paying more than 30% of their income for housing)… read more…
- Where Retirees Rely Most (and Least) on Social Security – 2022 Edition
Retirement can often be daunting because it means a shift from traditional income to a reliance on savings, investments and government programs such as Social Security. However, for most Americans, the government safety net is not enough to live on. While the Social Security program in 2022 has seen the largest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase… read more…
- States Most Dependent on the Federal Government – 2022 Edition
Billions of dollars are at stake each year for individual states when lawmakers in Washington D.C. negotiate the following year’s federal budget. For 2023, President Biden is calling for a 7% increase in federal spending as part of his $5.8 trillion budget proposal. While this money will ultimately play a major role in how states… read more…