Middle Class

While the middle class does not face the same kind of nationwide affordability crisis as low-income populations, geography and demographics are placing new stress on middle-income households.

May 31, 2019 - Brookings

In 1970, half of the city's census tracts were middle-income. Now, only 16 percent of them remain so. Polarization between the well-off and the poor essentially splits the city in two.

March 3, 2019 - WBEZ 91.5

California State Senator Scott Wiener argues that advocating for subsidized affordable housing isn't enough. Anyone concerned with ending the state's housing crisis needs to get behind market-rate development.

May 1, 2017 - Art + Marketing

Poverty and inequality are bad things, but what happens when they coincide? A new study points to a startling increase in the number of U.S. counties suffering from both problems.

January 19, 2017 - CityLab

In the election's wake, Richard Florida compiles some telling statistics on the nation's threatened middle class. It's on the decline, yes, but it's also becoming more segregated into certain cities, often in the Sunbelt and Rust Belt.

November 29, 2016 - CityLab

Even as other middle class jobs disappear, the transportation sector continues to grow.

October 1, 2016 - Next City

A Toronto professor pushes against Christian Wolmar's assertion that the tram's demise can be connected to anti-worker policy. For one thing, trams never went away in some cities.

July 1, 2016 - The Guardian

A new report from the AAA indicates that American motorists encounter damage from potholes three times a year, with each incident costing an average $300 to repair. Middle and working class drivers feel the pinch disproportionately.

February 20, 2016 - AAA

Research suggests a correlation between regional income inequality and poorer health. Several statistical and sociological causes may come into play.

April 10, 2015 - New York Times

Minneapolis combines prosperity with plentiful affordable housing, an increasing rarity. Geographical factors play a role, but longstanding "fiscal equalization" policies may make the difference.

February 23, 2015 - The Atlantic