Bucking inflation -- it's easier in Texas

Where you live, rather than how much you earn, may be an important barometer of how you're faring in this inflation-pressed economy, says Purchasing World magazine.

A New York City family of four would have to earn about $38,000 a year to make ends meet on the government's "higher budget" standard, which includes a home, a car, and an occasional night out on the town, the magazine reports.

In contrast, a Dallas family maintaining the same standard would need only about $27,000 a year, 30 percent less its their New York counterpart.

The national average is $30,000. However, subsequent inflation would add another $1,000 a year.