• by April 16, 2002

In spite of a recession and a series of extraordinary negative events, the number of households earning $75,000+ and $100,000+ increased during 2001 in the 85 metro markets surveyed regularly by The Media Audit.

Even more surprising, the number of households with liquid assets of $100,000+ and $250,000+ increased in real numbers and experienced only fractional declines when measured as a percentage of the number of adults surveyed.

"Some researchers have been predicting 3-4% declines in the number of affluent households (income exceeding $100,000), " says Bob Jordan, co-chairman of The Media Audit, "but in the 85 metro markets we survey regularly the decline did not materialize, and our numbers traditionally mirror national survey results. The only significant decline we found, in our financial/economic data, showed approximately a 2.5% decline among survey respondents who said they traded stock/bonds/securities during the past year."

Adults with annual household incomes of $75,000 + increased from 28,279,000 or 22.6% of the adult population surveyed in 2000 to 31,189,000 or 24.3% in 2001. Only eight of the 85 markets surveyed showed a decline in the percentage of adults with incomes of $75,000+. Seven markets had more than 30% of adults with incomes of $75,000. The seven are: San Jose, 41.7%; D.C., 38.8%; San Francisco, 34.0%; New Haven, 30.7%; Boston, 30.4%; Minneapolis/St Paul, 30.3%; and Atlanta, 30.2%.

Adults with household incomes of $100,000+ increased from 14,895,000 or 11.9% in 2000 to 16,312,000 or 12.7% in 2001. Only 16 of the 85 markets surveyed showed a decline in the percentage of adults with incomes of $100,000+. In eleven markets, 14% or more of adults had incomes of $100,000+. They are: San Jose, 26.7%; D.C., 22.5%; San Francisco, 20.8%; Atlanta, 16.9%; New York City, 16.7%; Denver, 15.8%; New Haven, 15.2%; Minneapolis/St Paul, 14.7%; Boston, 14.6%; Baltimore, 14.5% and Hartford, 14.1%.

From 2000 to 2001 the number of adults with liquid assets of $100,000+ declined from 20.5% to 20.1% of population surveyed, but increased from 25,686,000 to 25,828,000. Adults with liquid assets of $250,000+ declined from 7.9 to 7.8 but increased from 9,893,000 to 10,002,000. "These very slight changes," says Jordan, "would, ordinarily, be dismissed as insignificant, but the past year was so rife with bad news the numbers become interesting because they reflect an incredible resilience in the marketplace."