In the U.S. Census Bureaus 2013 study of the geographic locations of

In the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 study of the geographic locations of concentrated wealth, the top 5 percent of households are determined to be those earning at least $191,469 annually. As in the general population, most of those high-income households are clustered in high-population areas, especially along the East and West Coasts.

Unsurprisingly, the Census Bureau found that the highest concentration of wealth in the years 2007 to 2011 was around the New York City area, especially in the suburbs, with Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut, at the top of the heap, with nearly 18 percent of households in that top 5 percent of earners nationwide. The area we know as Silicon Valley, comprising San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, came in second, with nearly 16 percent of households among the top 5 percent. Following those two regions were the suburbs around Washington, DC; the suburbs around San Francisco, CA; the New Jersey suburbs of New York City; and the Long Island suburbs of New York City.

Some statistics were unexpected, at least to this writer: Boulder, Colorado, is richer than posh Santa Barbara, California. Hartford, Connecticut, is richer than Honolulu, Hawaii. Of the 366 metropolitan statistical areas studied, the two with the lowest concentration of wealth (1.1 percent) are Danville, Illinois, and Danville, Virginia—a statistic the Census Bureau calls out and notes as a “coincidence.” The study does not consider cost of living, which in expensive areas such as San Francisco can limit the buying power of a high income.

1. Which of the following most accurately summarizes the main point of the passage?

(A) Wealth in the United States tends to be concentrated in the suburbs of large cities.
(B) The disparity between rich and poor in the United States continues to grow.
(C) High-income earners have left the central cities for surrounding towns.
(D) The Census Bureau has given us a new definition of wealthy.
(E) If you make more than $200,000 annually, you probably live near New York City.


2. The author most likely mentions Santa Barbara for what purpose?

(A) To show that Silicon Valley cities have a high concentration of wealth
(B) To contrast a wealthy city with an impoverished city
(C) As a reminder that some cities lost wealth in the recent recession
(D) To suggest that not all wealthy cities are concentrated on coastlines
(E) As an example of a city that is reputed to be very wealthy


3. Based on the final sentence, which of the following could be inferred about the author’s beliefs about the Census Bureau’s study?

(A) The Census Bureau should have taken other data into account.
(B) Wealth is relative to an area’s cost of living.
(C) The U.S. census does not count everyone.
(D) Income is irrelevant when it comes to measuring wealth.
(E) Certain cities should have been omitted from the study.