<p>Good point, PoetGirl. I know our income would not go as far in LA, SF or NYC as it does in Portland. It’s also easier to be middle class in rural areas as our kids do not face the same level of financial peer pressure that their cousins do living 45 minutes away in the most affluent city in Oregon.</p>
<p>We have friends and acquaintances who live a middle class lifestyle here on what is considered low income anywhere else. And many of them opt to have one parent stay at home – a luxury that many cannot afford.</p>