It also reflects the cost of living, which is an index made up of housing/real estate costs, food prices, entertainment prices, etc, that biases average salaries for those areas as well.
I make half as much money as some friends I have that live and work in New York City, but I have a bigger home, more property, etc...
So I guess I live more towards poverty than them?
And those friends, although a occassionally envious of my home and property, tell me they still love the city and its life, with the shows, entertainment, shopping, etc, which makes me occassionally envious of them.
Thanks nhboy of reminding us how wonderful capitalism is and the freedom and choices it provides all of us. You would have to be bitter, angry and envious, NOT to mention rather ignorant of the world around you and economics, to look at that map and see something amiss or wrong.