Best U.S. Cities to Build Your Wealth

If you’d like to build a nest egg with your paycheck, pack your bags and head to Plano, Texas.
A survey by pay experts at Salary.com evaluated 69 cities with more than 250,000 people placed Plano number one among American cities in which to build personal wealth.
In 2005, Plano was designated the best place to live in the Western United States by CNN Money magazine. In 2006, Plano was selected as the 11th best place to live in the United States by CNN Money magazine.

The survey, based on census data and Salary.com analysis, focused on local salaries, the cost of living and unemployment. Secondary factors, such as diversity of the local economy, residents’ education, percentage of population below poverty level and commute time were also measured.

According to the survey, the top five cities are home to some of the nation’s largest companies and have recorded strong periods of growth. Following first-place Plano came Aurora, Colo., Omaha, Neb., Minneapolis and Albuquerque N.M.

New York’s diverse economy and highly-educated residents couldn’t save it from sinking to the bottom due to its high cost of living and paychecks that just aren’t “inflated” enough to make up the difference, the report stated.

Following last-ranked New York were Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Honolulu and San Francisco.