The Kalamazoo-Portage metro is one of the highest payed midsize metros for people 25 under.

Here's how AutoInsurance.org came up with the results in this new report,

The data on the median earnings for full-time workers under 25, median earnings for all full-time workers, and the proportion of the population under age 25 is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (ACS PUMS). The cost of living index is from the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s Regional Price Parity dataset for 2017. Median earnings for each metro were adjusted based on the cost of living index for that metro. Earnings in expensive cities were adjusted down to reflect lower purchasing power while earnings in relatively affordable cities were adjusted up to reflect higher purchasing power.  Metro areas are ranked by the cost-of-living adjusted median earnings for full-time workers under the age of 25.

The low cost of living in Kalamazoo vs. high average earnings is why our city did so well in this new report.  Before we look at the top 10 list let's break down the numbers for the Kalamazoo-Portage metro.

  • Median earnings for full-time workers under 25 (adjusted): $30,939 (U.S. $25,700)
  • Median earnings for full-time workers under 25 (unadjusted): $28,000 (U.S. $25,700)
  • Median earnings for all full-time workers (unadjusted): $45,000 (U.S. $46,000)
  • Population under 25: 37.2%
  • Cost of living: 10% below average

Here's the top 10 highest paying midsize metros for people under 25 in the United States.

#1.  Akron, OH $33,186

#2.  Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $33,155

#3.  Visalia-Porterville, CA $31,949

#4.  4 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

#5.  Fort Wayne, IN $31,425

#6.  Reading, PA $31,088

#7.  Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $30,939

#8.  Reno, NV $30,364

#9.  Lafayette, LA $29,680

#10. Eugene, OR $29,448

More From WKMI