The new land rush in Wyoming — CBS Sunday Morning, 2023, 6:10 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuwTlpzVdSk
What is the most unequal place in the United States (in terms of social class disparities)? It may be tempting to think of elite coastal cities, but the answer is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. As of 2023, it was the wealthiest and most unequal place in America, and it is also where the Federal Reserve hosts some of its most important meetings. One illuminative saying in Jackson Hole is, “You either have three homes or three jobs.” The area’s middle class has been hollowed out, and this has dire consequences for the social fabric of the community.
As a thought experiment, try to imagine a community inhabited entirely by wealthy individuals… How will necessary jobs be filled? What kinds of social interactions will become more or less common? What other potential consequences can you imagine?
From the video’s description: Teton County in Wyoming is home to the widest income divide in America, with a median house price of more than $5 million and an average income of $318,000. Correspondent Ben Tracy looks at how the wealthy, drawn to the state's picture-perfect settings, have been squeezing out the middle class – the very people needed to keep the community running.