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FinanceIncome inequality

This Playground for the Rich Is the Most Economically Unequal City in America

By
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
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By
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 17, 2016, 1:27 PM ET

When the average person thinks of a place where the super rich are getting even richer, it’s likely that places like New York City or Silicon Valley come to mind.

But according to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute, the most economic unequal metro area in America is Jackson, Wyoming, which includes both Teton Counties in Wyoming and Idaho.

In these two counties the top 1% of earners captured a whopping 68.3% of the income. The bottom 90% of earners, on the other hand, brought home just 17.3% of the income. Those numbers put Jackson way ahead of the next-most-unequal metro area in America: the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk area in Connecticut.

Those Connecticut cities however—known for being a hub of hedge fund wealth—are probably less surprising place than a tiny city in a state that ranks 49th out of 50 in gross state product.

But in recent years Jackson—which is nestled in Jackson Hole, a valley between the Teton Mountain Range and the Gros Ventre Range—has become the go-to ski resort for America’s wealthy. This has helped the two Teton Counties rise up the list of highest-earning counties in America, while also attracting low-earning immigrants to the area’s services industry.

Check out the rest of the top 10 most unequal cities below, and head over to EPI for the full report.

jackson

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By Chris Matthews
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