Size has nothing to do with affluence in Arizona
By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer
Two Arizona cities are at the top and bottom of rating scales used by 24/7 Wall Street. to decide what are most affluent and “worst” cities in America.
Overall picture
Incomes climbed faster in 2017 for the typical American household than they have in years, reports 24/7 Wall St.
The median household income of $60,336 in 2017 marked a 4.7%
24/7 Wall St. reviewed median household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau for 381 U.S. metro areas to identify the 25 richest American cities. Though spread across the country, from New England to Alaska, the cities on this list tend to have much in common.
24/7 Wall St. created an index comprising more han two dozen measures to identify the worst cities to live in in every state. Places with fewer than 8,000 residents in our analysis. Because no two states are exactly alike, the kinds of issues affecting the cities on this list vary considerably.
Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States that lies in the north-west to south-east running San Bernardino Valley within which runs the Rio San Bernardino. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico at Agua Prieta and a history of mining.
Douglas, Ariz.finds itself among the worst places to live and rated as a “troubled town.”
Douglas is a small city of fewer than 17,000 in southern Arizona along the U.S.-Mexico border. The city has a far lower concentration of restaurants, bars, and cultural attractions than typical. A relatively large share of area residents are struggling financially as the poverty rate in Douglas of 31.9% is well above the 17.0% poverty rate across the state as a whole.
Like many other cities on this list, Douglas’s population is shrinking. Over the past five years, the city lost 4.4% of its population. The resulting falling demand for housing has contributed to depressed property values. The typical home in Douglas is worth just $88,2000, over $100,000 less than the typical Arizona home.
• Population: 16,576
• Median home value: $88,200 (state: $193,200)
• Poverty rate: 31.9% (state: 17.0%)
• Violent crimes per 100,000 people: 249 (state: 508)
The vast majority of these cities are home to a well-educated, highly skilled workforce. Nationwide, 32.0% of adults have a bachelor’s degree, and in all but a handful of cities on this list, the bachelor’s degree attainment rate is greater. Many of the cities on this list rank as the most educated city in their state.
With a wide talent pool to draw from, these cities are attractive places for major companies to do business, particularly those in the traditionally high-paying technology sector. Several cities on this list have near-nation leading concentrations of high-tech jobs. Being a magnet for major employers has the added benefit of reducing unemployment. In the majority of cities on this list, the unemployment rate in March was below the 3.8% national rate the same month.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed median household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau for 381 U.S. metro areas to identify the 25 richest American cities. Though spread across the country, from New England to Alaska, the cities on this list tend to have much in common.
Even smaller than Douglas, also in the southern part of the state, Tanque Verde is listed as the “richest” town in Arizona.Tanque Verde has become an affluent community, with the highest median household incomes of any city or community in southern Arizona, and one of the highest in Arizona.
• Median household income: $94,167 (state: $53,510)
• Poverty rate: 5.1% (state: 17.0%)
• Median home value: $371,800 (state: $193,200)
• Population: 16,197
