The 1 Percent USA

Over the past few months, Occupy Wall Street actions have sprung up all across the United States. In the wake of Wall Street’s meltdown, protectors have taken up a new cause: Calling out the income disparity between the top 1 percent, who possess an estimated 25 percent of American wealth, and everyone else — otherwise known as the 99 percent.

While the Occupy protests are taking place in cities like Atlanta, Harrisburg, PA., Seattle, Oakland, Des Moines and dozens of other locales across the country, those are not necessarily the places where the 1 percent live.

A stellar report by the Atlantic magazine delves into this issue. Using IRS data, the Atlantic report shows that the 1 percent — Americans earning at least $516,633 in 2010 – are concentrated in large metropolitan areas led by New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.