Comment by AngryData

I also wouldn't take southern cali as representative of the US though. It is one of the most expensive places in the nation with a very high income where most people can completely ignore politics and the world around them because of the higher wealth floor. Im sure you can also find tons of people with $1500 phones and 5090s just for their gaming PC, but elsewhere in the nation you won't see so many.

The median wage in S.Cali is literally double the median wage of the midwest, but they don't pay twice as much for their cars or consumer goods.