America's big cities are losing their one big advantage

Cities may be crowded, dirty, loud, and expensive, but they've always offered one clear advantage over America's rural areas: more money.

Workers in urban centers have traditionally raked in significantly more than their rural counterparts, a phenomenon known as the urban wage premium. For decades, both college-educated workers and those without college degrees reaped the rewards, even when factoring in the higher housing costs that come with city dwelling. Everyone benefited from the job opportunities and plumper paychecks that cities could provide.