People Under 25 Have the Best Chance at Building Wealth in This U.S. State — and the Worst in These 2 Others Housing prices, household incomes and unemployment rates are all significant factors.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Many young Americans continue to rely on their parents for financial support.
- Gen Zers seeking to increase personal wealth may have better luck in some places than others.
Fewer than half of young adults ages 18 to 34 (45%) say they're completely financially independent from their parents, according to a report from the Pew Research Center.
The same research found that most (75%) of those relying on their parents expect to support themselves one day.
Of course, Gen Zers and millennials who aspire to become financially solvent might have a more difficult time doing so in some areas of the country than others. Cost of living varies significantly across regions, as do income levels and unemployment rates.
Related: Young People Earning More Than $200,000 a Year Are Fleeing 1 U.S. State — and Flocking to 2 Others
A new study from personal finance website CreditDonkey set out to determine where young Americans have the best chance at building significant wealth — and the worst.
Banking experts at CreditDonkey analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau on housing prices, household income and unemployment rates for people under 25 over the last year, then converted those findings into a weighted index with a maximum score of 100.
South Dakota snagged the top spot with a score of 79.46 out of 100. The state boasts one of the highest employment rates at 94.33% and the most affordable median rents for one-bedroom and studio apartments at $716 and $507, respectively.
North Dakota is the second-best state for young Americans building wealth, with an overall score of 78.01 out of 100.
Gen Zers will have the greatest difficulty increasing their net worth in California and New York, which earned scores of 17.94 and 23.45 out of 100, respectively.
California has the third-highest median housing listing price at $771,500, and New York has the highest unemployment rate for people under 25 — 12.56%.
Related: Millennials and Gen Z Are Jumping on This Hot Real Estate Trend to Afford Homeownership
Read on for CreditDonkey's "Top 10 Best States for Gen Z to Get Rich":
Top 10 best states for Gen Z to get rich | ||||||||
Rank | State | Average Household Income for under 25s ($) | Median House Listing Price ($) | Median Rent 1 Bedroom Properties ($) | Median Rent for Studio Properties ($) | Median Monthly Housing Costs ($) | Unemployment Rate for under 25s | Index - Overall (/100) |
1 | South Dakota | 52,437 | 386,448 | 716 | 507 | 946 | 5.67% | 79.46 |
2 | North Dakota | 50,046 | 368,295 | 725 | 696 | 918 | 4.45% | 78.01 |
3 | Iowa | 48,739 | 309,225 | 720 | 707 | 965 | 7.06% | 72.81 |
4 | Arkansas | 46,447 | 299,900 | 669 | 661 | 813 | 8.82% | 71.83 |
5 | Wisconsin | 52,100 | 385,950 | 820 | 837 | 1,070 | 6.42% | 68.56 |
6 | Oklahoma | 44,089 | 300,000 | 772 | 720 | 923 | 8.02% | 67.89 |
7 | Nebraska | 45,260 | 359,950 | 850 | 768 | 1,064 | 5.58% | 67.84 |
8 | West Virginia | 39,527 | 240,000 | 637 | 611 | 695 | 11.27% | 67.50 |
9 | Wyoming | 47,267 | 455,000 | 670 | 553 | 972 | 9.08% | 67.14 |
10 | Kentucky | 47,435 | 309,900 | 751 | 681 | 890 | 10.26% | 66.40 |
