The Elimination of the Middle Class In King County,Washington

The Seattle Times reports on the elimination of the middle class in King County,Professor Chris Mayer explains

First: Seattle is essentially out of land on which detached houses can be built.

Second: The state's Growth Management Act effectively limits supply by restricting where homes can be built.

"When you restrict construction you inherently raise the prices of homes," Mayer said. "So it ends up being the case that the only people who can afford to live there are people with higher incomes. I'm not saying this is good or bad or desirable, but it is an outcome of restricting new construction."

You might say some areas just don't want a middle class.No wonder why places like Forth Worth,Texas are growing.Land use restrictions are the enemy of those who aren't rich.