Carrie Bradshaw and American Affordability

Remember the show Sex and the City? At one point, Carrie Bradshaw (the main character) admitted she'd spent $40,000 on shoes instead of saving for a down payment. Now economists use her name to track what it actually costs to live alone in America's big cities. 

Welcome to the Economist's Carrie Bradshaw Index.

The index ranks the affordability of solo living across major U.S. cities. But it's not just about which cities are expensive (we already knew that). The interesting part is how things have changed.

The Colors Tell the Story

As we can see, purple cities are less affordable for solo living while green cities are more affordable. Coastal cities like New York and San Francisco are almost always expensive (no surprises there), but others may surprise you (hello, Kansas City).   

Cities Change, Lives Change

Most people stay in the city that's home—near family, friends, and the life they've built. But staying in the same city doesn't mean staying in the same situation. Homeowners reimagine their space all the time. They downsize. They move to different neighborhoods, opting for quieter streets, walkable areas, and locations closer to cultural centers. They trade maintenance for convenience, square footage for location, houses for condos. 

The Bigger Picture

For you, however, this isn't about stretching a budget. It's about understanding where cities are headed—which are drawing young professionals, where your children or grandchildren might choose to build their lives, or how urban centers are reshaping themselves.

These trends may reveal changing job markets, evolving neighborhoods, or even investment patterns. That is to say that this month's chart is about viability, not just affordability.