3 Ways the Definition of ‘East Coast Rich’ Differs From ‘West Coast Rich’
Written by
Daria Uhlig
Edited by
Caitlyn Moorhead
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Americans often stereotype the country’s East and West coasts, portraying the East Coast as uptight and stressed and the West Coast as laid back and maybe a little flaky. That’s according to psychographic profiles from Greenbook, a blog published by the American Marketing Association. But as a trending social media feud demonstrates, East Coast versus West Coast rivalry doesn’t end there. Content creators are making challenge videos comparing East and West on everything from weather to real estate to wealth.
Here are three ways East Coast rich and West Coast rich differ, according to one TikTok user who weighed in on the topic.
New Money vs. Old Money
The term “nouveau riche” has been around for over 200 years, but it’s a fitting term for how many Americans see today’s West Coast rich — wealth recently earned (probably in the tech industry) and unapologetically on display, as the TikTok account @indyanna.a noted in a recent video.
East Coast rich, on the other hand, is associated with old money. It’s not surprising, considering the East Coast’s role in the founding of America and New York’s position as the seat of finance.
Generational Wealth
In her video, @indyanna.a said that East Coast wealth didn’t just happen — it was curated through inheritances and trust funds.
“These people are aware of what money can and cannot do,” she said. “And they continue to pass down that knowledge in their families.”
Not so on the West Coast, @indyanna.a said. Ushered in by the tech boom, money has just recently become a thing there. That means the people who have it, earned it.
Social Hierarchy
East Coast rich conjures thoughts of an elitist aristocracy where wealth determines an individual’s position in the social hierarchy.
Although @indyanna.a argued that West Coast rich has no social hierarchy, that could be changing. Despite their self-made wealth and populist appeal, it’s difficult to argue against the possibility that a new ruling class of tech elite is narrowing the gap between East Coast and West Coast rich.
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