On October 21, real estate company Clever published a study on the cheapest cities to live in for employees earning minimum wage. The federal minimum wage is $7.25, but it surely varies by state. The study took under consideration state minimum wage and basic rental costs when determining which cities are best.

“Clever evaluated the 50 largest housing markets in the United States, examining typical rental prices for various apartment sizes and their relationship to the minimum wage in the area.”

Earning the federal minimum wage signifies that a full-time employee will live below the poverty line. Before taxes, the worker would earn $1,190 monthly. Many of the locations listed are only above the poverty line, with the highest being Denver, Colorado at $18.29. Even as the city with the highest salaries, Denver is not in first place. 9 on the list. Buffalo, New York, ranks first with a $15 minimum wage and lower average rent.

The study shows that statistics show that Buffalo residents still struggle to afford housing.

“Minimum wage employees in Buffalo can expect to pay 39% of their income for a typical one-bedroom apartment. This is the lowest rent-to-income ratio of any major city in the country, but still higher than the common affordability threshold of 30%.

The reality today is that the housing and rental market is volatile. Many individuals are like that struggling with the burden of low wages, rising rent, hidden fees and rising inflation. Moving to a city with a greater wage-to-rent ratio can ease financial stress for people and families. With the spirit of optimism in mind, BLACK ENTERPRISES intends to destroy a few of the cheapest places to live.

Buffalo, New York

Nestled in the northeast corner of the United States, Buffalo is a hop and a skip away from Canada. The $15 minimum wage is twice the federal wage. Residents can ensure that they may experience a fantastic winter. The city is just 6 hours away from New York.

St. Louis, Missouri

Gateway Arch headquarters, St. Louis, is a city of synthetic wonders. The city has a minimum wage of $12.30 and the average rent is $984 monthly. The city has its own distinct Midwestern culture and is entirely home to its skilled baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Ohio is home to certainly one of the biggest living basketball players, LeBron James. Cincinnati cannot claim the honor of being the hometown of a legend. However, the city tied with Cleveland and Kansas City for sixth place on the list of affordable cities.

Denver, Colorado

Living near the mountains is just not for everybody. People who like extreme climates would do well in a city characterised by temperature fluctuations: from hot and dry summers to frosty and snowy winters. With a top minimum wage of $18.29, the mountains will be bearable.

Detroit, Michigan

Better often known as the Motor City and residential of Motown Records, Detroit is steeped in culture. The city is in 1st place in the rating. Number 10 on the list because 61% of the minimum resident income is required to cover the average rent of $1,060. However, if the cost of living in other areas is controlled, the remaining 39% can provide a good quality of life.

Bozoma Saint John takes his Fortune 500 marketing skills to his own empire. The former Netflix marketing executive launched her own wig and hair care company, Eve By Boz.

Saint John, 47, has already reached historic highs in her profession. After leading the marketing departments of tech giants like Apple, Uber and Netflix, he wants to start out his own empire.

She left the favored streaming platform in 2022 after which published a memoir about how, along with her premature daughter, she lost her husband to cancer. Healing from losses, Saint Jan wants to start out a legacy that honors her past and future.

She saw a gap within the hair care industry, particularly wigs, where women of color owned businesses. Especially for products aimed toward diverse women, with the identical demographic leading the best way, the trouble was too sparse for Saint John.

“Women of color and black women don’t really have a voice in the production process, they are the ones consuming the majority of the product,” she said.

Understanding this need, she began developing her line within the spring of 2023. She attended a hair show in Guangzhou, China, with a hair stylist to attach with vendors. She traveled across the continent to learn more about sourcing products.

After doing her homework, Saint John decided to speculate in herself and lift money to launch her wig enterprise. She’s put about “a few million” into the business, but she has the knowledge to succeed.

“I’ve worked for big enough companies and I have a lot of inventory in a lot of places,” she explained. “It’s time to reinvest in myself and that is exactly what I made a decision to do. Besides, I can have total control. I don’t need anyone telling me what to do.”

Saint John’s is changing the sport by offering additional lace colours for wigs. Diversifying color decisions will higher serve customers of all skin tones, which also stays a priority for Saint John.

“I don’t want to go on YouTube or Google and watch 14 million videos of black women and women of color working in kitchen pharmacies dyeing lace to match their skin,” she says. “My intention is for other companies to see the success of this company and follow suit.”

Eve By Boz will premiere in Saint John’s other project, an entry as a solid member on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” While it’s a coincidence, Saint John welcomes the eye for a product he considers a winner. The 171-piece Eve By Boz collection is now available exclusively on her website.

AND latest report details the grim reality in which America goes on to tackle the housing shortage and financial obstacles for people wanting to own a house. According to the National Association of Realtors, homebuyers are older and wealthier than ever before, and the average age of homebuyers is at an all-time high.

The median age of buyers rose to a high of 56, up from 49 in 2023. The median age of first-time buyers rose to 38 from 35 in 2023, and the age of repeat buyers rose to 61 from 58 in 2023.

“Highlighting the barriers to entry into the housing market, the average age of first-time homebuyers has hit an all-time high of 38. In the 1980s, the typical first-time homebuyer was around 20 years old,” the report said.

But age is just not the only factor that has increased. It can be the average income of buyers.

“Over the past two years, first-time home buyer household incomes have increased by $26,000. “This year’s report shows that the median household income for first-time homebuyers was $97,000,” the report said.

The racial gap for homebuyers is growing

Unfortunately, there continues to be a racial gap between white and black homeowners.

“Overall, 83% of buyers were white/Caucasian, up from 81% last year,” the report said. Only 7% of recent buyers identified as black/African American.

According to A report mortgage lending to Black Americans declined by 16% in 2022. Mortgage denial rates, nonetheless, increased by 2.6 percentage points.

The report reveals one other dramatic change: buyers with children are less more likely to purchase homes.

Of all homebuyers, 62% are married couples, 20% are single women, and 8% are single men. The percentage of buyers with children under 18 dropped to the lowest level and amounted to 27% of all buyers.

The report shows that multi-generational housing stays popular, with the highest percentage ever of individuals purchasing a house that may accommodate multiple generations at 17% of all buyers. The commonest reasons are savings, elder care and the return of young adults.