In San Francisco, the richest 5% of households rake in an average of $423,000 a year, while the poorest 20% make around $24,000. The income gap between rich and poor is even worse in Atlanta, where the wealthiest people make nearly 20 times more.
As the gap between rich and poor grows in the U.S., it’s worst in big cities. In a Brookings Institution ranking of the most unequal cities in the country, Atlanta and San Francisco topped the list, but others were close behind.
Big cities have more inequality for two reasons, says Alan Berube, deputy director and senior fellow of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings. For one, they contain relatively more subsidized housing and services for the poor. On the other end of the spectrum, most cities are also home to the highest-value jobs in their regions, in sectors like finance, professional services, education, and technology.
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