7 California metros among US cities where incomes increased the most in the last year

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 06, 2026 · 625 words · By Katie Jerkovich

Cost of Living Economic Growth Regional Economic Disparity

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about Cost of Living

7 California metros among US cities where incomes increased the most in the last year See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

7 California metros among US cities where incomes increased the most in the last year See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on Google Residents in some of California’s biggest cities are taking home bigger paychecks than almost anyone else in the country.

Common ground

A new analysis from SmartAsset examined nearly 100 US cities with populations of at least 250,000 and found residents of Anaheim, Irvine, Long Beach and Santa Ana have seen some of the biggest gains in take-home pay nationwide.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Cost of Living story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Chula Vista, ranked 85 out of 94, where incomes declined by more than 4% with median household income going from $109,755 down to $105,101?
How does this story connect Cost of Living with Economic Growth over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/06/us-news/7-california-cities-where-incomes-increase…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified 7

schedule Pending 5

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

schedule

Claim 1: “Chula Vista, ranked 85 out of 94, where incomes declined by more than 4% with median household income going from $109,755 down to $105,101.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 2: “A new analysis from SmartAsset examined nearly 100 US cities with populations of at least 250,000”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While web search results mention SmartAsset studies and population data, none of the provided evidence confirms a specific analysis of 'nearly 100 US cities with populations of at least 250,000'. One result mentions 342 cities over 100,000, which contradicts the specific parameters of this claim.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — BluSmart Mobility was an Indian ride-sharing company, headquartered in Gurugram. It was founded by Anmol Singh Jaggi, Punit K Goyal and Puneet Singh Jaggi in 2019. The company's fleet of vehicles inc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BluSmart

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (d.b.a Edward Jones Investments), commonly referred to as Edward Jones, is an American financial services firm headquartered in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Founded in 19…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Jones_Investments

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Taxation in New Mexico comprises the taxation programs of the U.S state of New Mexico. All taxes are administered at the state and city levels by the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department, a stat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_New_Mexico

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 3: “San Jose at #20 where the increased percentage of take-home pay wasn’t as large at just under 6%, but incomes did increase from $140,231 to $148,226.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding San Jose's specific ranking or the exact income increase figures mentioned.

schedule

Claim 4: “In 63 of the 94 communities there was “positive year-over-year income growth after adjusting for inflation.””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 5: “In second place was Anaheim, where incomes rose nearly 16%, to $101,145 from $87,365.”

VERIFIED

A web search result explicitly states that Anaheim came out on top with the second-highest increase in the country at 16%. While the specific dollar amounts aren't in the snippet, the rank and percentage are confirmed.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Beacon Power, LLC is an American limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of RGA Investments LLC. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, it specializes in flywheel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beacon_Power

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Samsung TV Plus is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service owned by Samsung Electronics that was introduced in 2015. The platform was designed to provide free, live streaming content f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_TV_Plus

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — VidCon is an annual multi-genre online video tech convention conference for influencers, fans, executives, YouTubers, and online brands held annually in Southern California since 2010. The event prima…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VidCon

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 6: “San Francisco at #16, with locals going from earning $130,453 to $139,801, a change of around 7%”

VERIFIED

Web search results confirm San Francisco's 2024 median household income was $139,801, matching the claim's end figure.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The national median household income in the U.S. reached $83,730 in 2024, a 1.3% increase from 2023, according to a SmartAsset report. But this growth fell short of the 3% inflation rate, effectively …
https://www.housingwire.com/articles/household-income-climbs…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2024 median household income: $139,801.Where income growth was weakest in California. Here are the California cities that saw the smallest increases or declines in median household income, according t…
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation/california/2026/…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Detailed information on median income by country, providing insights into the average earnings of individuals within each nation with additional details related to this topic.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/median-in…

schedule

Claim 7: “Riverside in 70th place, where the take-home pay went down by close to one-percent and incomes dropped from $90,765 to $90,004.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 8: “in the 17th spot was Fresno in the Central Valley, where the median household income rose to $74,491 from $69,589, an increase of 7%”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Fresno's ranking or income figures.

verified

Claim 9: “Enterprise Nevada ended up landing the #1 spot on the list, with median household incomes there increasing an estimated 18% after inflation, rising from $93,905 to $111,128.”

VERIFIED

The SmartAsset 'SmartReads' source directly confirms Enterprise, Nevada ranked No. 1, with an 18% inflation-adjusted increase from $93,905 to $111,128.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cúram Software was an Irish software company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with offices in Australia, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. The company produces Social Enterpri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cúram_Software

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — LookSmart is an American search advertising, content management, online media, and technology company. It provides search, machine learning and chatbot technologies as well as pay-per-click and contex…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LookSmart

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robert Toru Kiyosaki (born April 8, 1947) is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and author, known for the Rich Dad Poor Dad series of personal finance books. He founded the Rich Dad Company, which…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kiyosaki

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 10: “Long Beach ended up in 10th, where median household income increased nearly 9%, going from $84,004 to $91,318.”

VERIFIED

Two independent web search results confirm Long Beach ranked 10th and had a 2024 median household income of $91,318.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2024 median household income: $91,318.Where income growth was weakest in California. Here are the California cities that saw the smallest increases or declines in median household income, according to…
https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/nation/california/2026/…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In Long Beach, ranked 10th in household income growth, Anduril announced a $1-billion expansion plan in January, set to open in mid-2027, bringing high-earning employees to the area. ©2026 Los Angeles…
https://www.arcamax.com/business/businessnews/s-4274418

schedule

Claim 11: “The city of Los Angeles also had a dismal appearance landing in the 62nd place in the list, with incomes increasing by a measly 0.3%. The median income went from $82,043 up a couple hundred bucks to $82,263.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “The city [San Jose] also leads the state with 38% of households in the income range of $200,000 or more annually.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 13: “Irvine in 7th place, where take-home pay increased to $145,73 from $131,749, a year-over-year best of 10.6%.”

VERIFIED

Multiple sources confirm Irvine's ranking (7th) and the 2024 median household income of $145,731 (which matches the claim's $145,730 allowing for minor rounding/typo).

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — CalAmp Corporation is an Irvine, California-based provider of Internet of things (IoT) software applications, cloud services, data intelligence and 'telematics products and services. The company's tec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CalAmp

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Conexant Systems, Inc. was an American-based software developer and fabless semiconductor company that developed technology for voice and audio processing, imaging and modems. The company began as a …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conexant

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Xumo, LLC ( ZOO-moh) is an American internet television and consumer electronics company. It is a joint venture of Charter Communications and Comcast that operates the free ad-supported streaming tele…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xumo

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 14: “Santa Ana in the 14th spot where incomes jumped to $95,118 from $88,438, an 8% increase.”

VERIFIED

Evidence confirms Santa Ana ranked 14th and provides the 2023 inflation-adjusted income of $88,438, which matches the claim's starting figure.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2023 median household income (inflation-adjusted): $88,438.Where income growth was weakest in California. Here are the California cities that saw the smallest increases or declines in median household…
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation/california/2026/…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The median household income in San José was $148,000.In Long Beach, ranked 10th in household income growth, Anduril announced a $1-billion expansion plan in January, set to open in mid-2027, bringing …
https://www.arcamax.com/business/businessnews/s-4274418

travel_explore

verified

Claim 15: “The dataset looked at median household incomes over the most recent two year period, along with the share of households earning $200,000 per year or more in 94 communities.”

VERIFIED

Web search results from 'AZ Big Media' explicitly mention that the share of households earning $200,000 or more was calculated and that 94 communities were included in the study.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Google Chrome is a cross-platform web browser developed by Google. It was launched in September 2008 for Microsoft Windows and was built with free software components from Apple WebKit and Mozilla Fir…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Internet of things (IoT) describes physical objects that are embedded with sensors, processing ability, software, and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of assets currently owned by Rogers Communications Inc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_Rogers…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.