We Are Doing Just Fine, Thank You

Baltimore often gets lumped in with rust belt cities such as Detroit, St. Louis, Cleveland, and the like. These cities have suffered the economic blow-back of the post industrial era. The Wire reinforces this image with its portrayal of devastated inner city neighborhoods (an accurate one for the most part) and a port in decline in season 2 ( not accurate at all). Baltimore City itself has plenty of struggles it is trying to overcome, but the Metro area as  a whole is doing way better than its supposed rust belt counterparts. The US Census Bureau data below shows just how well the overall area is doing. Baltimore Metro has the fourth highest median household income in the United States; hanging around with the likes of D.C., Boston, Seattle, and NYC. When one considers how much cheaper real estate is compared to these other cities denizens of the area get a bit more bang for their buck. Obviously the city proper lags behind the rest of the area but it bodes well for the future of the city as the re-urbanization trend continues and the region is so rich with resources.