US cities where buying clothes weighs more and less in the pockets of households

The cost of updating a wardrobe has become a challenge for many families in the United States, especially in cities where clothing prices are combined with lower family incomes. A new analysis reveals that in some areas of the country, purchasing basic clothing can represent more than 3% of a household's average monthly income. The study by WalletHub compared the average price of three essential items, a men's dress shirt, a pair of women's pants and a pair of children's jeans, in the 100 largest cities in the United States. Subsequently, the financial firm measured how much these expenses represent compared to the average family income in each city.

The results show that the problem does not depend only on how much clothing costs, but also on the economic capacity of the inhabitants to cover these expenses.

Cleveland leads clothing spending over income

The city of Cleveland, Ohio, was identified as the place where buying clothes is the least affordable in relation to the income of its residents. On average, purchasing the three items of clothing analyzed costs around $120 dollars, an amount that is equivalent to approximately 3.52% of the city's average monthly family income. Although Cleveland did not register the highest prices in all categories, its low income level had a significant influence on the result. The city has an annual median household income of $40,801, one of the lowest among the localities evaluated. According to WalletHub, Cleveland ranked among the cities with the highest prices for women's pants, men's dress shirts and children's jeans.

Birmingham and Detroit also suffer from the cost of clothing

In second place came Birmingham, Alabama, where consumers pay approximately $124 for the three garments considered in the analysis. This expense represents more than 3.22% of the average monthly family income, a high proportion driven mainly by low household income. Birmingham registers an annual median household income of $46,051. The city also showed prices above the national average in several categories: it ranked high among the most expensive locations to buy children's jeans, men's dress shirts, and women's pants. Third place went to Detroit, Michigan, where those same clothes have an average cost of close to $103, equivalent to 3.09% of the average monthly family income. In this case, the determining factor was income level. Detroit has the lowest median annual household income in the study, at $39,938, making a basic clothing purchase a greater financial burden for its residents.

The 10 cities where clothing consumes the most income

According to WalletHub, these are the cities where buying clothes represents a larger proportion of the average monthly household income:

The cities where buying clothes is most accessible

At the opposite extreme, some cities registered less pressure from spending on clothing compared to family income.

The five cities with the lowest percentage allocated to these purchases were:

Experts recommend planning purchases to reduce expenses

Chip Lupo, an analyst at WalletHub, explained that in some cities a family can spend close to 4% of their average monthly income on just a basic set of clothing. “In the cities where spending is the most, residents often face high prices combined with low income,” Lupo said. In this scenario, WalletHub recommends that consumers establish a specific budget for clothing, prioritize the clothing they need, and consider alternatives to reduce costs, such as taking advantage of discounts, using coupons, buying used clothing or exchanging clothing.