article_snippet: Analysis by the Brookings Institution compared 2013 census data for the top five per cent of earners with the bottom 20 per cent to work out the difference in wages.
article_snippet: Nationwide the rich took home around 9.3 times more money - approximately $200,234 in comparison to $21,433.
article_snippet: But in big cities it was up to 11.6 times more with top earners pocketing $221,700 and lower income households only taking home $19,143.
article_snippet: data from the Brookings Institution  showed the average wage for top earners in Atlanta was $288,159 - nearly $274,000 more than the bottom fifth's earnings.
article_snippet: The income gap was also large in San Francisco, Boston and Miami, with San Francisco boasting the highest earnings for the wealthy at $423,171.
article_snippet: Rich households in Washington were the only others to top $300,000.
article_snippet: The nation's most equal city is Virginia Beach, where the rich only take home around six times more.
article_snippet: Colorado Springs, Mesa and Oklahoma City are also fairly equal.
article_snippet: In total 31 of the 50 largest cities had lower incomes in 2013 than Colorado Springs, Mesa and Oklahoma City did in 2007 before the recession.
article_snippet: But only one city - Albuquerque, New Mexico - saw incomes for the wealthy decline between 2012 and 2013.
highlights_snippet: Atlanta compared top five per cent of earners with bottom 20 per cent .
  
highlights_snippet: 31 cities had lower incomes in 2013 than 31 cities did in 2007 before recession .