Kansas City
Maybe instead of looking for the giant cities on the coast you need to look for more toward the middle of the country. Kansas City has a metro population of over 1.5 million and a median income with at least a bachelor’s degree of nearly $51,000. Rent is lower than other locations at $850. To make money you’ll likely need a job at first, and the unemployment rate for those with a bachelor’s degree is 2.4 percent. With access to infrastructure, jobs and really everything you might need, this is an excellent location to start.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
So this isn’t the mega city you’re looking for, but it does give you plenty of options. The metro population is just under 400,000 with a median income for those with at least a bachelor’s degree at $50,000. Rent is a bit higher than Kansas City at $892, although the unemployment rate of 2.3 is slightly lower. It is a good place to land a job, has quality healthcare services, and it has easy access to the New Jersey Turnpike. With the abundance of jobs without being in a massive city, this may be the right spot for you to make your millions.
Cincinnati
This city at the southern edge of Ohio, bleeding into northern Kentucky is an excellent location to look if you want a larger city and plenty of amenities. With a metro population of 1.6 million it is large, yet the median rent is lower at $750. Your median income with a bachelor’s degree sits at almost $51,500 and the unemployment rate is 2.5 percent. Here you’ll have access to plenty of infrastructure and transportation, if that’s what you need, so you’ll have basically everything covered on your question of becoming a millionaire.
Ogden, Utah
The metro area here is larger than you think, with a population around 575,000. The median rent is higher at $858, although unemployment rates for bachelor degree holders is 2.3 percent, while the average income is $48,000. This puts you closer to the West Coast, yet offers a different take on the weather and surroundings. If your future business has something to do with the outdoors, snow or anything of that nature, you’ll have ample opportunity right here.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
The second location out of Pennsylvania gives you a nice metro area of around 440,000 people. The rent is a bit higher at $860 and the median income is $47,000, although the unemployment rate for those with a bachelor’s degree is 2.1 percent. It is just two hours from Philadelphia, so if you need to move your operation to a larger city it is available. You don’t need a mega city in order to become a millionaire, you just need what gives you ample opportunity, has the resources you need and feels right. Harrisburg might just be the answer for you.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
This is the second smallest city on the list, but it also has some major perks. At 177,000 metro population there is enough around for you to get what you need down without feeling cramped. You actually have to try to not get work here, as the unemployment rate for those with a bachelor’s degree is just 0.3 percent with an average salary of nearly $51,000. Plus, the median rent is lower at just over $700. All of this makes for an excellent location to get your business or million dollar idea up and running.
Des Moines, Iowa
Love Iowa, but need something just a little bit bigger? Des Moines might be the answer for you at 476,000 in the metro area. The unemployment rate for those with a bachelor’s degree sits at only 1.3 percent with the median income at an excellent $56,000. Rent is higher at $825, so keep that in mind. You will have access to everything you might need here, a great work force for your business and one of the best financial markets in the country.
Shreveport, Louisiana
So, maybe you’d rather have a bit more warmth in the city where you become a millionaire? If so, Shreveport, Louisiana might be the option for you. It is one of the smallest metro areas on this list at just under 300,000, but it also has one of the lower unemployment rates for those with a bachelor’s degree at 2.2 percent. Plus, with a median income of over $60,000 for those with at least a bachelor’s degree, it has many favorable attributes. So, while you work on your own idea or business, you’ll earn a good amount along the way. Rent is at $840, but with the higher income that shouldn’t be a problem.
Springfield, Illinois
If Abraham Lincoln can do it, you should have some confidence, as well. The Land of Lincoln city is actually the smallest on the list with just under 160,000 people in the metro area. Whether you want to build your fortune off of bypassing Route 66 or just about anything else, you’ can find it here. It’s less than 90 minutes from St. Louis, so you’ll have access to a big city, and with a one percent unemployment rate and median income of over $65,000 annually for those with a bachelor’s degree, you have everything you need here.
South Bend, Indiana
Home of Notre Dame, you have access to a quality work force and a great way to build your business. In fact, the median income for a bachelor’s degree holder is nearly $72,000. With a median rent of $720, you’ll have less expensive rent, more money to work, with and sit at a close proximity to Chicago and Grand Rapids.