I&#x27;m not from KC either, so I may be off base there. I do live somewhere with a higher average salary than nationally though.<p>Certainly there are places (SF in particular) where you&#x27;re in a pretty bad place if you&#x27;re making the national median, but I think anyone making the <i>local</i> median in those places is doing all right. The median is by definition not going to be a good place for keeping up worth the joneses. But if you opt out of the competitive things and just spend on what you need, I really think $52k is a pretty good place to be, and if you&#x27;re struggling at that level (and aren&#x27;t tied to a job in an expensive city) you should seriously look at downsizing your house&#x2F;car&#x2F;whatever your biggest expense is, because I have to wonder where all that money&#x27;s going.<p>Of course plenty of people really are struggling - half of the country is on less than $52k after all. Below about $40k I&#x27;d definitely say &quot;it&#x27;s not you, it&#x27;s your income&quot; or something on those lines.