These are the 10 cities in America with the largest middle class

These are the 10 cities in America with the largest middle class These are the 10 cities in America with the largest middle class If you are looking for a city where your budget’s version of a good weekend consists of a night in with the family and a day out at the park with your dog, then this is the article for you. Zippia is at it again, this time with our top ten cities with the largest middle class. According to the  Pew Research Center, just over 50% of Americans were considered middle class in 2016, but in many urban and rural areas, the middle class isn’t actually represented by 50% of the population. So if you want to live in an area where middle-class workers actually make up the majority of the population, check out these top 10 cities: West Jordan, UT West Valley City, UT Layton, UT Livonia, MI Missouri  City, TX Lewisville, TX Riverview, FL Surprise, AZ Hillsboro, OR Ontario, CA Surprised that Utah seems to be the top hub for middle-class workers? In a recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah actually ranks #1 in income equality in the U.S. West Jordan, UT. It has over twice the percentage of households (75.2%) in the middle class compared to the last place -  Palo Alto, CA  (33.8%), home to Apple, Facebook, Google, and other Silicon Valley name brands. Texas and Arizona are also great places for middle-class workers. Texas has a booming economy and Arizona has a relatively low cost of living. Interested to learn more about what makes these top 10 cities special for middle-class workers? Read on for our detailed top 10. Methodology For this analysis, we defined “middle class” as roughly 60% of the national household median income to 2.5x the national household median income. That works out to household incomes between $35k and $150k. (The national median household income is $60,336). Zippia used the most recent  1 Year 2017 American Community Survey Data. This looks at places with over 65,000+ people only but is the most recently available national data set. 1. WEST JORDAN, UT Households:  32,635 Middle Class:  75.2% The middle class isn’t the middle class in this town, but the main class. In West Jordan, just over 75% of the population is middle class. West Jordan, a growing suburb of Salt Lake City, is full of middle-class job potential. The average age of residents is around 30 years old, which is perfect for Millenials looking for a young city to start out in. 2. WEST VALLEY CITY, UT Households:  40,010 Middle Class:  71.9% Buckeye is a bulls-eye for middle-class residents on our top 10 list. As one of the fastest growing cities in America, Buckeye is perfect for new industry and job growth. Located near Phoenix, Buckeye is close to major urban centers and even more job opportunities. If you are looking for a hot new place to live, Buckeye won’t let you down with average high temps near 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Might need to spend a good bit of your income on AC in Buckeye. 3. LAYTON, UT Households:  23,579 Middle Class:  71.3% Back to  Utah  for our third best city with the largest middle class. West Valley City is Utah’s second largest city, which is rapidly growing still. In West Valley City, nearly 72% of residents are middle class. Utah is known for their income equality and West Valley City’s is yet another success for Utah in promoting economic equality. 4. LIVONIA, MI Households:  36,593 Middle Class:  70.9% Layton is located in … you guess it! Utah. What’s the big deal about Utah anyway? Utah is one state that continues to rank in our top 10 lists, including the Best States to Start Jobs and Most Stressed States (Utah being one of the top least stressed). Layton follows suit as one of Utah’s most populated cities, has a booming economy, and a low unemployment rate. So if you are looking for a place near the mountains with beautiful views and a good income, perhaps you should consider Utah. 5. MISSOURI CITY, TX Households:  23,948 Middle Class:  70.7% Next up on our list comes Livonia, Michigan’s 9th largest city. Livonia has low-income inequality, with nearly 71% of its residents being middle-class workers. Livonia is only two miles from Detroit’s city limits, but don’t let Detroit’s reputation for economic disparity make you reconsider Livonia. Livonia has a very low unemployment rate, 2.2%, which is due to their large healthcare and manufacturing industries. 6. LEWISVILLE, TX Households:  39,357 Middle Class:  70.5% The name may be confusing, but Missouri City is one of Texas’s best suburbs near Houston. Like Livonia, Missouri City’s population is nearly 70% middle class. Missouri City also boasts its diversity and job opportunities. So if you are looking for some good BBQ and southern soul-food in a vibrant middle-class  center, Texas  may be an option for you. 7. RIVERVIEW, FL Households:  30,875 Middle Class:  70.1% After Missouri City comes another  Texas  winner, Lewisville. This city is located in the Dallas-Forth Worth area and is a great place for middle-class job opportunities. Like Missouri City, Lewisville originally boomed as a city due to railroad expansion in the 1800s, so this city has been a major growth center since the beginning. It is home to many food distribution companies and car dealerships that cater to the larger metro area, making Lewisville a career hotspot in Texas. 8. SURPRISE, AZ Households:  50,799 Middle Class:  70.0% Coming in at number eight on our top 10 list is Riverview,  Florida, with 70% of the population being considered middle class. Riverview, unlike most of Florida, actually has a young population, with the average age of Riverview residents being in the low 30s. If you are looking to spend time with easy access to the coast for weekend trips on a middle-class budget, check out Riverview. If you think the beach is no big deal, check out their Manatee Viewing Centerâ€" Riverview has some serious perks. 9. HILLSBORO, OR Households:  38,749 Middle Class:  69.9% It’s no surprise that Surprise,  Arizona  has made our top 10 list with their low-income inequality. In Surprise, 70% of the population is middle class, making this a major middle-class hub in Arizona. Located near Phoenix, Surprise has many economic advantages and is a place you will be sure to find jobs. Between 2000 and 2010, Surprise grew by about 281%. Obviously, something great is happening in this townâ€"there is no shock about that. 10. ONTARIO, CA Households:  50,572 Middle Class:  68.61% Last but not least comes Hillsboro,  Oregon, on our top 10 list. While Hillsboro is the last on our list, it still has an impressive middle class. Just under 70% of the population is middle class in Oregon’s fifth largest city. You may have heard of Silicon Valley, but have you heard of Silicon Forest? Located near Portland, Hillsboro is home to many  top-tier  companies, including Intel. But unlike Silicon Valley, Silicon Forest has much less income disparity. Manufacturing is also a major industry in Hillsboro so you can be sure to find a job in this city. Wrapping up the middle-class cities in the U.S. While it would be great to live in Manhattan, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, it is hard to afford to live in these large metro areas due to the high cost of living and large income disparities between upper class and lower class workers. If you are looking for an environment with lots of growth and job potential, while also more homogeneous income-wise, look no further than our top 10 with  Zippia. If you dreamed of the Big Apple, you may not have had Utah on your radar, but perhaps looking again at states like Utah or Arizona may be worth it. Who needs skyscrapers when they can have beautiful desert and mountain landscapes, all while being surrounded by better economic opportunity? Rank City % Middle Class 1 West Jordan, UT 75.2% 2 West Valley City, UT 71.9% 3 Layton, UT 71.4% 4 Livonia, MI 70.9% 5 Missouri City, TX 70.7% 6 Lewisville, TX 70.5% 7 Riverview, FL 70.1% 8 Surprise, AZ 70.0% 9 Hillsboro, OR 69.9% 10 Ontario, CA 68.6% 11 Goodyear, AZ 68.5% 12 North Las Vegas, NV 68.4% 13 Enterprise, NV 68.1% 14 Moreno Valley, CA 68.0% 15 Westminster, CO 68.0% 16 Bend, OR 67.9% 17 Aurora, CO 67.8% 18 Citrus Heights, CA 67.8% 19 Mesquite, TX 67.8% 20 Port St. Lucie, FL 67.7% 21 Perris, CA 67.6% 22 Gilbert, AZ 67.6% 23 Norwalk, CA 67.4% 24 Elgin, IL 67.4% 25 Baldwin Park, CA 67.2% 26 Aurora, IL 67.2% 27 Waldorf, MD 67.2% 28 Grand Prairie, TX 67.1% 29 Frederick, MD 67.0% 30 Vista, CA 67.0% 31 Sparks, NV 66.9% 32 Lee’S Summit, MO 66.8% 33 Broken Arrow, OK 66.7% 34 Thornton, CO 66.7% 35 Jurupa Valley, CA 66.6% 36 North Port, FL 66.6% 37 Virginia Beach, VA 66.6% 38 Mansfield, TX 66.5% 39 Alafaya, FL 66.4% 40 Parma, OH 66.4% 41 Kent, WA 66.4% 42 San Tan Valley, AZ 66.3% 43 Irving, TX 66.3% 44 Carrollton, TX 66.3% 45 Orem, UT 66.3% 46 Germantown, MD 66.3% 47 O’Fallon, MO 66.2% 48 Downey, CA 66.0% 49 Santa Maria, CA 66.0% 50 Vancouver, WA 65.9% 51 Loveland, CO 65.7% 52 Waukesha, WI 65.7% 53 Cicero, IL 65.7% 54 Sterling Heights, MI 65.7% 55 The Villages, FL 65.6% 56 Fontana, CA 65.6% 57 Santa Ana, CA 65.5% 58 Round Rock, TX 65.4% 59 Lake Elsinore, CA 65.4% 60 Sandy, UT 65.3% 61 Salinas, CA 65.3% 62 Olathe, KS 65.2% 63 Lehigh Acres, FL 65.2% 64 Dale City, VA 65.2% 65 Georgetown, TX 65.1% 66 Murrieta, CA 65.1% 67 Chesapeake, VA 65.1% 68 Cedar Rapids, IA 65.1% 69 Glen Burnie, MD 65.1% 70 Casas Adobes, AZ 65.0% 71 Everett, WA 65.0% 72 Rialto, CA 65.0% 73 Port Charlotte, FL 65.0% 74 Springdale, AR 65.0% 75 Brandon, FL 65.0% 76 Upland, CA 64.8% 77 Carson, CA 64.8% 78 Hayward, CA 64.7% 79 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 64.7% 80 Bolingbrook, IL 64.7% 81 Spring Valley, NV 64.7% 82 Silver Spring, MD 64.7% 83 Garland, TX 64.6% 84 Beaverton, OR 64.4% 85 Oxnard, CA 64.4% 86 Rochester, MN 64.4% 87 Cape Coral, FL 64.4% 88 Wyoming, MI 64.3% 89 Pearland, TX 64.3% 90 Deltona, FL 64.3% 91 Vacaville, CA 64.2% 92 Raleigh, NC 64.1% 93 Brooklyn Park, MN 64.1% 94 Arvada, CO 64.0% 95 Murfreesboro, TN 64.0% 96 St. Charles, MO 64.0% 97 Farmington Hills, MI 64.0% 98 Miramar, FL 63.9% 99 Marysville, WA 63.9% 100 Anchorage, AK 63.9% This article first appeared on Zippia.