Ranking It
Yuppie Central: Houston deemed the No. 2 city in America for this often mocked breed
Young urban professionals prone to pampering would be wise to put down roots in Houston, a new survey says. The Bayou City is ranked No. 2 in the nation for "yuppie affordability" and it's easily the cheapest yuppie lifestyle city in Texas.
The Locality.com Yuppie Price Index takes into account average costs for haircuts, blowouts, manicures, massages, facials, dry cleaning, dog boarding, gym memberships and yoga classes. The yuppie lifestyle comes with a $5,202 price tag in Houston. The same type of lifestyle runs $5,594 annually in Dallas, which ranked ninth in the nation.
San Francisco is the most expensive city for luxury services. Its $6,718 annual cost reflects prices 14 percent higher than the national average. Denver; Phoenix; Washington, D.C.; and Raleigh, North Carolina, round out the top five priciest spots. Raleigh. Huh.
Indianapolis took the top spot in yuppie affordability, sliding in at $5,181 — just ahead of Houston.
To calculate the costs in each city, Locality.com estimated twice-monthly manicures, quarterly haircuts, monthly facials and massages, yoga classes three times a month, and an annual gym membership — everything a good yuppie needs to keep up appearances.