Listen to the stump speech of any 2016 presidential hopeful and you’ll hear right away about how hard it is for today’s middle class.
A report issued last year by the Pew Charitable Trust’s Stateline found that the middle class shrank in all 50 states between 2000 and 2013, and median income, adjusted for inflation, was lower at the end of 2013 in the vast majority of states than in 2000.
SLIDESHOW: The 10 Best Cities for Middle Class Families
However, the ability to live comfortably on a middle class income varies greatly based on where you live. A new report by California’s Chapman University crunched the numbers to find out which cities are the best for middle class families. The study analyzed local incomes adjusted for cost of living, economic opportunity for middle class jobs, and family friendliness factors such as commute times, housing affordability and net migration of families.
Des Moines, Iowa, ranked number one on the list, thanks to a growing finance sector as well considerable job growth in science, technology, engineering and math jobs. Overall, the economic stability of living in a capital city proved beneficial, with seven state capitals and Washington, D.C., making the top 10 list.
Three California cities -- Fresno, Los Angeles and Stockton -- received the distinction of being ranked as the worst cities for families, according to the report.
