What causes avg incomes to go up and down?

[6SpeedTA95 0]

Just curious because I had a part of my region with an avg income of close to 100k now its down to 20k and I dont know what happened or caused this change.  Most of my region has avg incomes up around the 90 or 100k area.  This one did and then it dropped like a rock.  Any ideas?

[theprofessor172 0]

I actually don't know...

Education perhaps? Better EQ means higher paying jobs...

Or lifespan maybe? You have more time to work with a longer lifespan...

[6SpeedTA95 0]

Yeah I dont have a clue but its annoying...to have it go from 100k down to 20k for no reason, health and education are the same.

[Bones1 96]

Average income is determined by two things:

1. The income level of the sims ($, $$, or $$$).

2. The EQ of the sims.

 

The only thing I can think of that would affect your average income, is if new development is happening, or existing development is being redeveloped into new buildings. That means that sims are being replaced, and the new ones that move in likely have lower default stats.

 

However, you say that your EQ levels haven't changed. In that case, check your graphs for R$, R$$, and R$$$. See if they've fluctuated around the same time that your average income changed. (May as well check the EQ graph too.)

[da_sim_dude 5]

Yeah,it also due to the fact of the jobs in your city.....I think lol

[Bones1 96]

I don't think it has to do with jobs, at least not directly. As far as I can tell, unemployed sims still retain their income level until they go abandoned. (Maybe that's when their severance package runs out!) Also, as long as a sim can work somewhere, he still seems to get paid the same whether it's at McDonalds or NASA. (Although, sims seem to take jobs only within their wealth and education range. A R$$$ sim would rather starve than work at McD's. I guess if he's unemployed he can always rummage through the McD's dumpsters for food.)

I haven't tested it much, though, so YMMV.

[Bros_B4_Hos 0]

Gotta be a glitch.

[DuskTrooper 314]

It makes no sense at all sometimes. For instance, it may jump from 250k all the way down to like 8k....

[Bros_B4_Hos 0]

Originally posted by: DuskTrooper It makes no sense at all sometimes. For instance, it may jump from 250k all the way down to like 8k....quote>

Yeah. It seems to happen to me only when I have a city of a certain size .... say, 100,000-200,000 people. I'm sure it's a bug, but my question is whether it means anything negative about, or does anything negative to, the condition of your city?

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

This is not necessarily wrong.  When there is an influx of new Sims, until they get a job their income is zero.  The whole problem with averages is that they can be swung so easily. 

This is why statistical stuff from the national censuses seldom make sense.  You need access to the raw data.  On the other hand, the game would be improved by using the mean income, which is the one in the middle of the list, no matter how skewed the ends are.

[DreTitans23 2]

probabily density and taxes

[Millionaire2K 0]

Bigger cities normally have lower AVG income for many reasons. One you might want to look at is your Sims AVG age. Since people under 15-16 normally would not be working. Also look at your unemployment chart. If a lot people are out of work then the AVG income will just keep dropping.

Example:

City size of 250,000

Work force 222,500

Unemployed 27,500

Work force AVG income of $65,000

A scenario like that would make the AVG income $57,850

A small drop but a drop none the less. But it's a good example how a lot of things affect the AVG income.