U.S. Cities: Population and Affluence

This 24 seconds video shows affluence for 384 cities by octile in 2020. It starts with the poorest and ends with the richest. Watch it full screen.

Note how poorer cities tend to be small and inland, while richer cities tend to be large and coastal. This was tested statistically and these two independent variables explain half the variance (r-squared). A stunningly high share. 70-80% could likely be explained by a few more variables such as a city hosting good universities.

The importance of water is striking. As soon as there is an ocean, lake or river nearby, chances are that a town looks a bit more inviting, a bit more prosperous, a bit less "poverty of the soul", compared to neighboring towns without such water.

Most large companies (with a few truly notable exceptions) do only basic localization of their strategies. The differences shown in the video highlight the importance of more targeted strategies.