18 cities with reasonably priced homes that will be million-dollar markets in the next decade

The median price of single-family homes in San Francisco has nearly doubled since 2014.

Alexandr Spatari/Getty Images

• Home prices have soared in the last decade, so buyers get less for their money than they once did.
• Although home affordability is an issue, property prices will almost certainly keep rising.
• Here are 18 markets with reasonably priced homes that are set for strong price growth.

Million-dollar houses aren't what they used to be, as homebuyers across the US can attest.

Gone are the days when seven-figure sums are automatically associated with massive homes on picturesque properties. In fact, in some of the nation's competitive markets, $1 million is nothing more than the price of admission to home ownership.

US property values have soared since the financial crisis during a widespread housing shortage that created a home affordability crisis for buyers. The multi-decade-high inflation surge during and after the pandemic also contributed to home-price appreciation.

This housing-market boom is best exemplified by major cities in California, like Los Angeles and San Francisco. The median cost of a home in those markets has nearly doubled in the last decade — from $420,300 in 2014 to $854,800 now and $769,600 to $1,449,000, respectively, according to data from the National Association of Realtors cited by real-estate site Zoocasa.

Most homebuyers will be out of luck looking in the Golden State, which has seven of the 10 priciest housing markets in the US and will soon have four cities where the typical single-family home costs more than $2 million — including San Jose, San Francisco's Bay Area neighbor.

Persistent property-price growth means that home affordability will likely remain stretched, even as mortgage rates recede to lower levels. That means buyers may still have limited options.

"As prices creep up higher and higher, future home buyers may look outside of these large metros if income growth doesn't start to keep pace with the cost of housing," wrote Zoocasa's Mackenzie Scibetta in a mid-October report.

Though many families will be priced out of this market, those who can swing a home purchase may want to consider it before property prices rise even further in the coming decade.

"While rising prices may seem daunting, they also offer the promise of long-term equity gains, providing stability and a solid return on investment down the road," Scibetta wrote.

18 top cities for real-estate investors

No real-estate analyst can predict exactly how much or how quickly home prices will rise, though past gains can be a solid harbinger of what's ahead.

With that in mind, Zoocasa researchers compiled data on single-family home price growth from 40 large US markets dating back to 2014, and then extrapolated them out over the next decade to estimate when cities would see their median home prices breach the $1 million mark.

Factors like interest rates and the economic climate will certainly change, though this can be a solid starting point for buyers or real-estate investors who are comparing markets to buy in.

"While growth rates offer a helpful estimate, they may not hold steady if the market experiences drastic changes," Scibetta wrote. "However, they can still provide a general sense of where prices could head in the future."

Of the 40 metropolitan areas used in this analysis, Business Insider limited the list to cities that are within 50% of the US median home price, which was $422,100 in the second quarter, according to the National Association of Realtors. That means the cutoff point was $633,150.

Below are 18 cities with homes that cost $633,150 or less in Q2 that are set to be million-dollar markets by the end of 2035, sorted by which will reach the $1 million threshold the fastest. Along with each reasonably priced real-estate market is its median home price and projections for the years ahead, as well as the home price growth rate from 2014 to 2024 that it's based on.

1. Reno, Nevada

Nick Fox/Shutterstock

Median home price in Q2 2024: $620,400

Median home price estimate for 2025: $683,680

Median home price estimate for 2026: $753,415

Median home price estimate for 2027: $830,263

Median home price estimate for 2028: $914,950

Median home price estimate for 2029: $1,008,275

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 10.2%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

2. Riverside, California

Davel5957/Getty Images

Median home price in Q2 2024: $600,000

Median home price estimate for 2025: $654,000

Median home price estimate for 2026: $712,860

Median home price estimate for 2027: $777,017

Median home price estimate for 2028: $846,949

Median home price estimate for 2029: $923,174

Median home price estimate for 2030: $1,006,260

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 9%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

3. Manchester, New Hampshire

Discover Beautiful World/Shutterstock

Median home price in Q2 2024: $568,700

Median home price estimate for 2025: $617,608

Median home price estimate for 2026: $670,722

Median home price estimate for 2027: $728,404

Median home price estimate for 2028: $791,047

Median home price estimate for 2029: $859,077

Median home price estimate for 2030: $932,958

Median home price estimate for 2031: $1,013,192

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 8.6%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

4. Portland, Oregon

David Gn Photography/Getty Images

Median home price in Q2 2024: $608,500

Median home price estimate for 2025: $657,789

Median home price estimate for 2026: $711,070

Median home price estimate for 2027: $768,667

Median home price estimate for 2028: $830,929

Median home price estimate for 2029: $898,234

Median home price estimate for 2030: $970,991

Median home price estimate for 2031: $1,049,641

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 8.1%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

5. Portland, Maine

Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images

Median home price in Q2 2024: $566,400

Median home price estimate for 2025: $615,110

Median home price estimate for 2026: $668,009

Median home price estimate for 2027: $725,458

Median home price estimate for 2028: $787,847

Median home price estimate for 2029: $855,602

Median home price estimate for 2030: $929,184

Median home price estimate for 2031: $1,009,094

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 8.6%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

6. Sacramento, California

Merge Digital Media LLC/Shutterstock

Median home price in Q2 2024: $555,000

Median home price estimate for 2025: $606,060

Median home price estimate for 2026: $661,818

Median home price estimate for 2027: $722,705

Median home price estimate for 2028: $789,194

Median home price estimate for 2029: $861,800

Median home price estimate for 2030: $941,086

Median home price estimate for 2031: $1,027,666

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 9.2%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

7. Salt Lake City, Utah

f11photo/Getty Images

Median home price in Q2 2024: $583,200

Median home price estimate for 2025: $635,688

Median home price estimate for 2026: $692,899

Median home price estimate for 2027: $755,260

Median home price estimate for 2028: $823,233

Median home price estimate for 2029: $897,324

Median home price estimate for 2030: $978,083

Median home price estimate for 2031: $1,066,110

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 9%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

8. North Port, Florida

Kent E Roberts/Shutterstock

Median home price in Q2 2024: $525,000

Median home price estimate for 2025: $575,925

Median home price estimate for 2026: $631,790

Median home price estimate for 2027: $693,073

Median home price estimate for 2028: $760,301

Median home price estimate for 2029: $834,050

Median home price estimate for 2030: $914,953

Median home price estimate for 2031: $1,003,703

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 9.7%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

9. Boise, Idaho

Charles Knowles/Shutterstock

Median home price in Q2 2024: $510,700

Median home price estimate for 2025: $566,877

Median home price estimate for 2026: $629,233

Median home price estimate for 2027: $698,449

Median home price estimate for 2028: $775,278

Median home price estimate for 2029: $860,559

Median home price estimate for 2030: $955,220

Median home price estimate for 2031: $1,060,294

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 11.1%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

10. Las Vegas, Nevada

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Median home price in Q2 2024: $478,800

Median home price estimate for 2025: $527,159

Median home price estimate for 2026: $580,402

Median home price estimate for 2027: $639,023

Median home price estimate for 2028: $703,564

Median home price estimate for 2029: $774,624

Median home price estimate for 2030: $852,861

Median home price estimate for 2031: $938,999

Median home price estimate for 2032: $1,033,838

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 10.1%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

11. Austin, Texas

Evan Semones - cosmophotography/Getty Images

Median home price in Q2 2024: $496,500

Median home price estimate for 2025: $537,213

Median home price estimate for 2026: $581,265

Median home price estimate for 2027: $628,929

Median home price estimate for 2028: $680,501

Median home price estimate for 2029: $736,302

Median home price estimate for 2030: $796,679

Median home price estimate for 2031: $862,007

Median home price estimate for 2032: $932,692

Median home price estimate for 2033: $1,009,173

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 8.2%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

12. Phoenix, Arizona

Kruck20/Getty Images

Median home price in Q2 2024: $480,400

Median home price estimate for 2025: $526,038

Median home price estimate for 2026: $576,012

Median home price estimate for 2027: $630,733

Median home price estimate for 2028: $690,653

Median home price estimate for 2029: $756,265

Median home price estimate for 2030: $828,110

Median home price estimate for 2031: $906,780

Median home price estimate for 2032: $992,924

Median home price estimate for 2033: $1,087,252

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 9.5%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

13. Eugene, Oregon

Joshua Rainey Photography / Shutterstock

Median home price in Q2 2024: $469,100

Median home price estimate for 2025: $512,726

Median home price estimate for 2026: $560,410

Median home price estimate for 2027: $612,528

Median home price estimate for 2028: $669,493

Median home price estimate for 2029: $731,756

Median home price estimate for 2030: $799,809

Median home price estimate for 2031: $874,191

Median home price estimate for 2032: $955,491

Median home price estimate for 2033: $1,044,352

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 9.3%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

14. Raleigh, North Carolina

Kenny McCartney/Getty Images

Median home price in Q2 2024: $484,900

Median home price estimate for 2025: $527,086

Median home price estimate for 2026: $572,942

Median home price estimate for 2027: $622,788

Median home price estimate for 2028: $676,971

Median home price estimate for 2029: $735,867

Median home price estimate for 2030: $799,887

Median home price estimate for 2031: $869,477

Median home price estimate for 2032: $945,121

Median home price estimate for 2033: $1,027,347

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 8.7%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

15. Salem, Oregon

Shutterstock/Victoria Ditkovsky

Median home price in Q2 2024: $456,100

Median home price estimate for 2025: $502,622

Median home price estimate for 2026: $553,889

Median home price estimate for 2027: $610,386

Median home price estimate for 2028: $672,645

Median home price estimate for 2029: $741,255

Median home price estimate for 2030: $816,863

Median home price estimate for 2031: $900,183

Median home price estimate for 2032: $992,002

Median home price estimate for 2033: $1,093,186

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 10.2%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

16. Durham, North Carolina

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Median home price in Q2 2024: $477,600

Median home price estimate for 2025: $517,241

Median home price estimate for 2026: $560,172

Median home price estimate for 2027: $606,666

Median home price estimate for 2028: $657,019

Median home price estimate for 2029: $711,552

Median home price estimate for 2030: $770,612

Median home price estimate for 2031: $834,573

Median home price estimate for 2032: $903,843

Median home price estimate for 2033: $978,862

Median home price estimate for 2034: $1,060,108

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 8.3%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

17. Providence, Rhode Island

Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock

Median home price in Q2 2024: $504,800

Median home price estimate for 2025: $542,155

Median home price estimate for 2026: $582,274

Median home price estimate for 2027: $625,362

Median home price estimate for 2028: $671,639

Median home price estimate for 2029: $721,340

Median home price estimate for 2030: $774,719

Median home price estimate for 2031: $832,048

Median home price estimate for 2032: $893,620

Median home price estimate for 2033: $959,748

Median home price estimate for 2034: $1,030,769

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 7.4%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

18. Wilmington, North Carolina

Walter Bibikow/Getty Images

Median home price in Q2 2024: $467,400

Median home price estimate for 2025: $504,792

Median home price estimate for 2026: $545,175

Median home price estimate for 2027: $588,789

Median home price estimate for 2028: $635,892

Median home price estimate for 2029: $686,763

Median home price estimate for 2030: $741,704

Median home price estimate for 2031: $801,040

Median home price estimate for 2032: $865,123

Median home price estimate for 2033: $934,333

Median home price estimate for 2034: $1,009,080

Home price growth rate from 2014-24: 8%

Source: Zoocasa, National Association of Realtors

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'Let chaos reign': AI inference costs are about to plummet

SambaNova Systeman CEO Rodrigo Liang, Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman, Foundry CEO Jared Quincy Davis, Groq CEO Jonathan Ross

SambaNova Systems; Ramsey Cardy; Foundry; Groq

• All kinds of startups are rushing into the AI inference market.
• Inference market competition may lower the price of AI, benefiting builders but challenging clouds.
• Not all startups will survive the period of "chaos" to come.

Jared Quincy Davis and his AI computing startup Foundry sell inference. They don't make chips or build large language models. Foundry has a unique method of making cloud computing more efficient. Instead of selling its technology to cloud providers, the Foundry team decided to become one and use its tech to operate a more efficient cloud.

Once companies looking to leverage and sell an AI product have trained their models and know that they perform, they're looking for ease, speed, and value whenever generating outputs. Inference-as-a-service providers like Foundry, aim to simplify the process of generating those outputs.

Foundry offers training and fine-tuning, too, as many cloud providers do, but these days, it seems like anyone with an AI compute-boosting technology is attempting to monetize by selling inference — or more specifically, tokens, the base unit of data in AI.

Cerebras sells inference too. The company's core expertise is designing chips for training and inference, but it recently started selling the latter as a service. So does Groq, a chip company formed by two former Googlers, who recognized early that inference was going to get the bigger share of computing. SambaNova Systems, another hardware platform, also sells inference as a service.

Companies like Lambda, CoreWeave, Together AI, and Crusoe, all close partners of Nvidia, run data centers suited specifically to AI workloads and offer inference services. And then there are the hyperscalers like AWS and Microsoft Azure.

With so many companies specializing in inference, suspicion is rising that the cost of inference is about to drop off a cliff.

"Part of the reason inference is a little commoditizable is customers are kind of paying for tokens at the end of the day," Davis told Business Insider.

The current market for inference is kind of like the electricity market, Davis said. There are a ton of niche sources you can access if you actually shop around, but not everyone does. Most people just want to flip the light switch and have it work.

But there is a lot of nuance to sift through for those willing. For some customers, speed is of the utmost importance. Speed has distinctions too, like time to the first token and tokens per second. There's total job completion time and there are different kinds of inference workloads that lend themselves to different computing setups.

Energy efficiency of the underlying hardware and networking is a big determinant of cost. And cost in inference computing is even more important than in training, Groq cofounder Jonathan Ross recently told BI. Training is an overhead cost, while inference is an operating cost.

Zoom out from all of the intricacies, and inference is becoming the commodity of the AI age.

"Some companies just want output and they don't care about infrastructure," Mitesh Agrawal, head of cloud for Lambda, told BI.

Commoditizing AI

Lambda is in the early stages of an inference-as-a-service offering, but Agrawal said the company is going about it carefully, focusing on providing holistic computing services, and not just tokens.

Inference profit margins can vary widely, Agrawal said. With general compute — where the customer rents fixed capacity — the margins are easier to manage. When you're charging for usage or input and output of a model, the return is less predictable.

Organizing multiple users across a finite number of servers takes finesse. Whether or not the cost of operating the hardware is actually covered with room for profit comes down to how well that organization is done, Agrawal explained.

So why would neoclouds offer the riskier service?

Agrawal said it's about getting potential customers in the door. Inference-as-a-service customers can turn into more traditional compute customers, and as the slate of competitors grows, relationships, and history grow in importance.

Lambda's financial models assume that price cuts are coming soon as more players enter the inference space and chips become more efficient.

A race to the bottom?

How fast the demand for inference is growing is up for debate, but in recent public statements, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said on multiple occasions that new models, like OpenAI's o1, require more compute to generate the same number of responses because they run multiple models to check their own work or "reason." Accuracy, it turns out, requires more compute.

Inference loads are poised to grow, but service providers still anticipate a drop in price from the influx of new players. Davis isn't worried though.

He recalled Jevon's paradox — an economic principle in which a drop in price or an increase in efficiency leads to more total consumption — like when you widen a highway and traffic gets worse.

"If I make something 10 times cheaper, people won't spend 10 times less, nor will they even hold their budgets the same. They'll spend more," Davis said. "That makes sense because what are you doing when you make something 10 times cheaper, you're making the ROI better."

In other words, "it turns out, when you make inference cheaper, people decide to do a lot more inference," Davis said.

The ride ahead could be "bumpy" though, and not all players are likely to survive the moments of mismatch between supply and demand.

"As my old boss at Intel Andy Grove used to say, 'Let chaos reign, and then reign in the chaos'," said Sriram Viswanathan, founding managing partner at Celesta Capital and investor in SambaNova Systems.

He agrees the next few years will be wildly competitive for inference providers, but he believes the winners will be decided on merit.

"The core innovation can't be in the go-to-market, but in the performance and power of the underlying architecture," Viswanathan said.

Many of the companies selling tokens to break into the AI market aspire to more. The chip designers eventually want to sell chips to hyperscalers rather than inference to AI startups. The ultimate version of Foundry's tech is bigger too.

"If we do our job, right, you know, we will be a core part of how every GPU runs," Davis said. All roads, it seems, run through inference.

Hugh Langley contributed reporting.

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I flew on a British Airways A380 in economy and premium economy. Upgrading isn't really worth it.

The author in economy class, and a British Airways Airbus A380.

Pete Syme/Business Insider; Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

• I flew with British Airways in both the economy (coach) and premium economy cabins.
• The upper deck of a BA Airbus A380 means plenty of space, even in economy.
• I got a good deal for my premium economy ticket, and I don't think I'd pay more for the amenities.

Premium economy has been gaining popularity with airlines and customers alike, providing a taste of luxury for those who can't afford business class.

I recently flew premium economy in a British Airways World Traveller Plus cabin. At the time I booked, it was actually cheaper than economy class on the same flight.

However, I don't think the benefits are worth much more than flying coach — especially on an Airbus A380.

Flying economy a week earlier, I found plenty of space and a stowage bin next to the window seat thanks to reserving a seat on the upper deck. By contrast, the popularity of premium economy had me sitting in the middle section.

So, if you're looking at paying $1,000 more for premium economy, I'd suggest paying the seat reservation fee and sit in economy on the upper deck instead.

Here's how my two flights compared.

I took two British Airways flights between London and the US — both on an Airbus A380.

An Airbus A380 at the gate at London Heathrow.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

British Airways operates its A380s to six cities in the US — a number second only to Emirates.

It flies the superjumbo jet between London Heathrow and Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Singapore, and Washington, DC.

I flew economy from London to Washington Dulles, and premium economy on my return from Dallas/Fort Worth.

My irreverent itinerary came about because I solo-traveled to DC for a couple of days before joining my family in the Canadian Rockies.

Direct flights between Calgary and London were more expensive when I booked. Plus, I wanted to fly British Airways anyway for some frequent-flyer points and to experience the superjumbo jet.

I was particularly excited about these flights because I'd be flying on the upper deck both times.

The author's economy seat to Washington, DC.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

British Airways has 104 economy seats on its A380's upper deck, which most other airlines typically reserve for business class.

The upper deck is arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration in economy, so a window seat means there's one less rowmate to worry about compared to the main deck's 3-4-3.

Window seats on the upper deck cost more to reserve but they have a stowage bin.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

I spent £79 ($104) to choose my economy window seat on the A380's upper deck. Although that's expensive, I think the space and stowage bin made it worth it.

You also get this stowage bin sat in a premium economy window seat, but they were unavailable when I looked to reserve one.

There was plenty of legroom, with space underneath the armrest of the front seat.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

I'm 5-foot-9 so I rarely have to worry about legroom, but I was definitely more comfortable than in a typical economy seat. Sitting here reminded me of the legroom in an aisle seat — without having to worry about passing trolleys or passengers.

Premium economy is normally out of my budget, but I only paid £480 ($630) for that leg.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

When I booked, almost eight months in advance, premium economy was actually slightly cheaper than economy on the same flight. It was also only £100 ($130) more than economy on my alternative route home from Calgary via Chicago.

The price might have been aided by the fact that I was on a connecting route. Prices in November 2024 for premium economy direct from DFW to London are at least $2,400.

There was plenty of space and a footrest, but didn't feel like a huge upgrade from economy.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

There are a few more inches of recline than in economy, but the footrest didn't feel as useful as a legrest would — especially if you want to sleep. You do get a legrest flying premium economy in some newer BA cabins, as well as the likes of Emirates and Singapore Airlines.

I had more legroom than in economy too, but I was pretty much just as comfortable there thanks to being on the A380's upper deck.

BA's Airbus A380s can feel dated.

The in-flight entertainment system displayed a blue screen before being restarted.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

G-XLEK, the first A380 I flew on, is nine years old, while the second was delivered 11 years ago.

That's not especially old, but the cabins aren't British Airways' most modern. Its A380 business class is configured in a 2-3-2 formation, whereas you'll find a more comfortable 1-2-1 on some of its Boeing 777s and 787s.

One flight was delayed as the captain restarted the malfunctioning in-flight entertainment before takeoff.

I was impressed by the friendliness of the cabin crew on both flights.

The author's drinks and snacks in economy.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

Shortly after takeoff, I got a bag of pretzels and two drinks — one of which was to go with the meal.

In premium economy I had an orange juice after takeoff, but the service didn't feel much different.

The author's perspective in premium economy, with the passenger in front reclined.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

On my flight, there was no sparkling wine on offer after takeoff as advertised. The choice was orange juice or water.

However, premium economy does have more drink options with three cocktails on the menu — a Gin Fizz, Bloody Mary, or Citrus Twist — but I opted for beer.

The entertainment screen was slightly bigger, but the IFE was too glitchy for me to use it properly. Premium economy also included a better set of headphones, in contrast to economy's earbuds.

I was excited to try the food in premium economy, with menus handed out after takeoff.

The premium economy food menu.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

This touch of luxury is definitely an upgrade from economy, with one more main course on offer.

I opted for the butter chicken.

A meal tray including pearl barley salad, panna cotta, and a curry in premium economy.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

Dessert, the tropical panna cotta, was the highlight of the meal for me, and much tastier than in economy. But I couldn't say the same for the curry.

I actually preferred the chicken tikka masala curry I had in economy.

The author's meal in economy.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

In premium economy, I did enjoy the metal cutlery and china plates, but it didn't feel like much different from the wooden cutlery in economy. Perhaps this was because all the courses came at once, unlike in business class.

Premium economy also came with an amenity kit, but I was hoping for more.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

The kit came with a sleep mask, socks, a toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm from Scaramouche + Fandango, and — somewhat pointlessly in my opinion — a biro.

I liked the design of the bag, it was nice to prepare to sleep by brushing my teeth in the bathroom, and the lip balm was hugely helpful.

However, I think a kit more similar to business class, with moisturiser and aromatherapy oils, would've helped sell me on premium economy.

I hoped premium economy would help me sleep on my redeye flight, but to no avail.

The World Traveller Plus blanket.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

I've never found it easy to sleep on planes, and I probably didn't help myself by drinking beer instead of water onboard.

The blanket was better than the one given in economy, but the lack of legrest and limited recline made me wish I could afford a lie-flat bed.

At the end of my economy flight, I had a chicken and tomato pastry and an apple juice.

The snack in economy.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

It was pretty tasty and better than I expected.

It was a similar idea for breakfast in premium economy, where I had an egg bagel and a coffee.

Breakfast in premium economy.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

Again, it was tasty, but I didn't feel the food service was worth upgrading from economy. In business class, breakfast is served on plates.

Despite getting a good deal for premium economy, I had a more enjoyable flight in economy.

The view taking off from London Heathrow.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

Perhaps this was because my economy flight wasn't a redeye and I had my favored window seat — but I think it largely came down to the abundance of space on offer on the A380's upper deck economy seats. Paying the seat reservation fee felt like an upgrade in itself.

If you spot a good deal, premium economy is definitely an enjoyable experience that gives you a taste of luxury.

But if you're looking at paying over a grand, I'd consider upgrading to business class or, on an A380, seeking an upper-deck economy seat for extra space.

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An artist used his $500 monthly basic income to build his hip hop career: 'It's not feasible to create art in a place of distress.'

Tarli, 36, is a participant in Minnesota's guaranteed basic income program for artists.

Photo Courtesy of Tom Smouse

• Springboard for the Arts gives artists $500 monthly to support their creative careers.
• Tarli, 36, said cash payments helped him afford equipment for his hip hop career.
• Additionally, the cash payments helped him reach "flexibility and freedom" beyond affording basics.

Tarli has been making music for most of his life, but found it increasingly difficult to afford his bills and fund his career as a performer.

"It's not feasible to be a starving artist," Tarli — who preferred to use his artist name — told Business Insider. "It's not feasible to create art in a place of distress."

By day, the 36-year-old works for a housing agency. By night, he's a hip hop artist playing on stages throughout the Twin Cities. When Tarli received his first $500 check from the Springboard for the Arts guaranteed income pilot, he felt immediate relief.

Springboard for the Arts' program gave 75 artists like Tarli monthly cash payments of $500 for 18 months, and was initially set to end in summer 2024. Eligible participants had to be artists — musicians, dancers, painters, creatives, or culture bearers — and live in the St. Paul or the rural county of Otter Tail. Participants can spend the money however they chose, no strings attached. The pilot is funded by private donors and the McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based foundation focused arts, culture, and science.

In September, the program announced a five-year extension. The 75 artists will continue receiving payments, and 25 more artists in Otter Tail — about 200 miles from St. Paul — will receive $500 monthly starting in 2025. All 100 participants will also have access to personal finance and housing counseling services.

Over 100 guaranteed basic income pilots that have been launched across the US as an approach to poverty reduction, some of which also focus on artists. Previous participants have told BI they used cash payments to pay household bills, afford essentials, pursue job training, or buy art supplies.

For Tarli, $500 a month was the boost he needed to reach "flexibility and freedom" beyond affording basics like rent and groceries.

"From my experience, when finances are iffy, the first thing that goes is your art," he said.

Monthly cash helped Tarli invest in his music career

Tarli likens his work to performers J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, music that has "hitting beats, but always has a message to it," he said. He also directs a local artists collective of singers, DJs, and musicians called "The Tribe" who tour and perform together.

Still, Tarli said it's difficult to make a steady income as an artist. Because of this, he's continued to hold his full-time job so he can more comfortably afford rent, food, healthcare, and other essentials alongside his music career. Tarli declined to share how much he earns.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics published in May 2023 found that the annual mean wage for US independent artists and performers is $66,180. The bottom 25% of these artists, however, make less than $38,000 a year — placing many near the federal poverty line.

Tarli used his monthly guaranteed basic income to invest in his hip hop career by buying a portable sound system, advertising performances, paying for studio space, compensating his collaborators, and affording lodging when his music group was touring.

He's looking forward to going on tour again next spring. And, with the program's extension, Tarli will continue receiving guaranteed basic income through early 2028.

"The sky is the limit for me, as far as using that money, or even saving that money up to make a larger purchase," he said.

Participants in other guaranteed basic income programs like Springboard for the Arts often report that monthly payments helped them land higher-paying jobs and afford household expenses. However, the cash payment model is temporary, and it's not yet clear how GBI shapes participants' financial stability in the years after their programs end.

Tarli said he's grateful to have a day job, but he hopes to continue transitioning his music into a more stable career. Cash payments helped him move toward that goal, he said.

"When artists ask for a decent wage, it's needed," Tarli said. "It's not because they're trying to get rich, it's because they actually need this — not only to sustain sustain themselves — but to also reinvest in their artistry."

Have you participated in a guaranteed basic income program? Are you open to sharing your experience? If so, reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@businessinsider.com.

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I've spent over $10K on friends' weddings in 2.5 years. Anyone who puts you in a hard financial situation isn't a good friend.

The cost of being a bridesmaid and maid of honor in her friends' weddings was high, but Shannon Detrick says good planning and open conversations helped her stay on track financially.

Shannon Detrick

• Shannon Detrick has spent over $10,000 for friends' weddings and bachelorette parties since 2022.
• She emphasizes the importance of cost transparency and financial awareness in wedding planning.
• Good planning and open conversations helped her avoid resentment and overspending.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shannon Detrick, a 29-year-old based outside Sacramento, California who works in the wedding industry. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Since 2022, I've been part of four weddings and bachelorette parties, spending $10,804 altogether.

It's crazy to say that out loud — $10,000. That's almost half the cost of my own wedding. And that doesn't even include the four weddings for which we've been guests but not part of the wedding party.

But it's been really fun and well worth it to go on these awesome trips with my friends and have moments that really connect us. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing I'm doing with my friends to honor them.

I've spent over $10,000 on weddings I was part of

For the first wedding, I spent $965 on the bachelorette party in Palm Springs and $916 on the wedding.

The second bachelorette party was in Miami and I spent $1,425. That wedding was within driving distance, and my husband and I spent $522 on it.

For the next wedding, I helped plan the bachelorette party in New Orleans. It cost $1,536 overall. My friend lives in Denver, so I had to fly my husband and me out for the wedding, and we spent $1,782.

The most recent wedding was definitely the one I spent the most on. My friend's wedding was in Maine, but most of the bridesmaids live in California, so she wanted to have her bachelorette party in California so that we could all drive there. That was nice because it took out the cost of flights.

Her sister and I were the maids of honor and we planned the bachelorette party in Sonoma, which is a very expensive area. It was also her 30th birthday, so we chose to be more extravagant about some things. It was exciting — it was the first time we experienced a trip like that, and likely the last time too.

Overall, I spent $1,676. Here's the breakdown:

• The house we stayed in was $519 per person for three nights. We split the bride's portion among us.
• Because I only live a few hours away, I only had to pay $45 for a tank of gas for transportation.
• I spent around $300 on things like decor, customized sweatshirts, and custom itineraries.
• The cabana and spa services for our spa day were gifted, but the tips were split between the maids of honor. I contributed $100.
• All of the meals, drinks, and wine tastings for three days came out to $712 a person, with each of us splitting the bride's costs as well.

The wedding was in Maine. My husband wasn't able to attend due to schedule conflicts, and I spent $1,982 alone.

• Hair and makeup cost $290.
• My dress was gifted so it was free, but alterations cost $200.
• The rehearsal dinner was black-tie, so I rented my dress from my monthly Rent the Runway subscription. I pay $155 a month for 10 items, so the cost of my rehearsal dinner dress was around $15.
• My portion of the cabin rental was $672 for three nights.
• My airfare to get to Maine was $760.
• The bride and groom covered most of the food costs that weekend, so I only spent $45.

All in all, the cost was worth it and I'd do it again.

Shannon Detrick (in the green dress) celebrates her friend's wedding in Maine.

Shannon Detrick

My husband and I tried to keep costs low for our wedding

I was the first of my friends to get married, back in 2020, right before the pandemic. We wanted to have fun and not spend a ton of money. It cost around $25,000 to $30,000, which was on the lower end for California weddings. We mostly paid for it ourselves, with our families pitching in around $10,000 total.

I don't believe in the "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality and refuse to go into debt for anything like this, so right after we got engaged, I started mapping out roughly how much we needed to save.

We tried to keep costs low for everyone. I had six bridesmaids and understood that everybody had different financial backgrounds. I kept it very open-ended when it came to my bachelorette party, which took place in a small winery town near me. I said, "If you want to come, come. If not, that's totally fine."

At the wedding, most of the members of our wedding party stayed for free in the big house on the wedding venue's property. I let everyone choose their own bridesmaid dresses, just asking that they be burgundy. I think most people spent around a hundred dollars on their dresses. Hair and makeup cost around $150 total per person. I informed everyone of the pricing in advance and told them it wasn't mandatory. We also covered food and beverages.

It's essential to set expectations and have cost transparency

Being asked to be part of a friend's wedding party is emotional; obviously, you want to say yes. But it's important to understand that it comes with a financial obligation.

All my friends have been really good about being upfront about costs and not putting expectations on each other. I don't know if maybe my wedding set the tone for everyone being really conscious of how much they're asking, but it felt like everything was pretty well reciprocated when I attended their celebrations. At one of my friend's weddings, she let us stay at her Airbnb for free since her accommodation at our wedding was also free. I didn't expect that, but it was awesome to have that reciprocated.

It's the couple's responsibility to be super transparent about costs if possible; everyone has different ideas about what's expensive. Be really open to everyone's personal limitations — what you may view as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity could put your friend or family member in an uncomfortable financial situation.

It's really important to focus on your priority — to be surrounded by the people you love — rather than on materialistic things. If a friend pressures you or says, "If you don't attend this, we're not friends," then they're not a good friend.

The cost of things can be hard to figure out

It's hard to know how much being part of a wedding party will cost because many times, the couple hasn't even done their own preliminary budgeting when selecting their wedding party.

I have a unique perspective because from 2021 to 2023, I worked in marketing for a bachelorette company. The company helped people plan group travel, so I was very immersed in that world and knew about all of the popular destinations, the costs, and all of that. After that, I moved to an online wedding planning company and worked as the director of social there for about a year, and now I'm a full-time contractor still working with clients in the wedding industry.

So I haven't been surprised by the cost of things. I'm usually the person that people turn to to ask if a price is normal and what they should expect for these things. There's no "normal." It's up to you as a group to figure out what you're comfortable spending and be really transparent from the beginning.

That's why I post videos on TikTok and Instagram about how much I've spent on weddings; it's not because I have regrets or to make my friends feel bad in any way. It's to help make people aware of the costs and hopefully make smart decisions from there. It's a lot easier to understand what you're signing up for if you know from the beginning.

There's also the issue of budgeting time off to attend friends' weddings — it starts to add up. A friend's bachelorette trip was in March 2022 and while I technically had unlimited PTO at the bachelorette party company I was working for, I felt stressed about taking time off — which is ironic, because I was going on a bachelorette party and experiencing the things we were selling.

At one of the next weddings I'm in, a bridesmaid works hourly and was like, "For every event, I have to take off time and I'm missing out on the money." So she's not just taking the time off, she's also missing the compensation that comes with that time off. That can be really, really challenging.

I have no resentment about how much I spend because I plan for it

I'm in two more weddings and three bachelorette parties next year. I already have my budget for next year's weddings outlined.

Fortunately, my husband and I can afford to take on these expenses. I've never gone into debt for any of this. Of course, the money could have hypothetically gone toward other things, but it's a choice I've made. I don't like to live in the past and worry about all of the other things I could've spent the money on.

When I say yes, I know what I'm saying yes to, and I don't feel any resentment. I always say to my friends, "You get one and then I'm not doing this again." It's fun and exciting to be part of their wedding events; I wouldn't miss it. It's totally worth it.

If you'd like to share your story about the financial aspect of attending or planning weddings, email Jane Zhang at janezhang@businessinsider.com.

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Elon Musk just showed the world his shiny new Robovan. There's already a Chinese vehicle with the same name.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Robovan on Thursday.

Richard Bord/WireImage via Getty Images; Screenshot

• Tesla's new Robovan has a Chinese counterpart with the same name.
• WeRide unveiled its Robovan back in 2021.
• A separate robotics startup, Starship Technologies, filed a US trademark application for "Robovan" in 2017.

Tesla's new Robovan was CEO Elon Musk's novel surprise at the company's "We, Robot" event.

But something about it wasn't as novel — its name.

WeRide, a Chinese autonomous driving startup, unveiled its own self-driving cargo van in 2021. WeRide named its product the Robovan, and the company's CEO, Tony Han, touted it as being at the intersection of a passenger and logistics vehicle.

"It's an autonomous driving vehicle. If you put a seat there it can serve as a robotaxi car. If you put a cabinet there it is really a logistics car," Han told CNBC in 2021.

"Why don't we do both?" Han added.

WeRide said it is partnering with JMC-Ford Motors, a joint venture between state-owned automaker Jiangling Motors Corp and Ford, to manufacture the Robovan.

In May, WeRide said it obtained a license to conduct road tests for the vehicle in Guangzhou, China. On its website, WeRide said it had received "over 10,000 indication orders from a leading express delivery company" for the car.

But WeRide wasn't the first company interested in the name "Robovan."

In July 2017, a company called Starship Technologies filed a trademark for "Robovan," per the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Starship, which specializes in autonomous delivery robots, was founded by Skype cofounders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis.

The company said in 2016 it would work with Mercedes-Benz to develop a "Robovan" for neighborhood goods deliveries.

Unlike Tesla and WeRide, Starship Technologies' offering isn't a self-driving vehicle.

Starship Technologies said in a 2016 YouTube video that their Robovan is a van specially designed to accommodate their autonomous delivery robots.

"Instead of completing door-to-door delivery, the vans will drive to pre-agreed locations to load and unload goods and then dispatch the robots in the final step for on-demand delivery. Upon making the customer delivery, the robots will autonomously find their way back to the van for re-loading," the video's caption read.

Musk, meanwhile, is touting the Tesla Robovan as a vehicle that can "carry up to 20 people and can also transport goods."

"What happens if you need a vehicle that's bigger than a Model Y?" Musk said on Thursday evening before a Robovan prototype rolled up in front of the stage. Thursday's event was largely billed as the debut for Tesla's Robotaxi, or Cybercab.

Futuristic Art Deco Bus pic.twitter.com/4DDqJtGATU

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2024

Representatives for Tesla, WeRide, and Starship Technologies didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

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These are the cleanest cruise ships this year, according to the CDC — including 18 with perfect scores

The CDC randomly inspects cruise ships to prevent the spread of stomach viruses. So far, in 2024, 18 cruise ships have received perfect scores.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

• The CDC randomly inspects and scores cruise ships to prevent the spread of stomach viruses.
• So far, in 2024, 18 cruise ships have received a perfect score.
• Norovirus can spread quickly on packed vessels.

Cruise ships don't always have a squeaky-clean reputation for being ultra-clean. After all, there's a reason they've been infamously dubbed "floating Petri dishes."

Not all floating resorts are created — or operated — equally.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention randomly conducts sanitary inspections on cruise ships throughout the year. So far in 2024, 18 vessels have received perfect scores.

At the same time, the public health agency has reported 10 bacterial and viral outbreaks — mostly norovirus — on ships since the start of the year.

Half have been on ships from Royal Caribbean Group's main cruise line and its Celebrity Cruises subsidiary. Overall, the number of outbreaks so far is fewer than in 2023, which saw 14 in total.

Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas had two outbreaks in 2024, one from "unknown" reasons and the other from salmonella.

Sergi Reboredo/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The highly contagious norovirus, also known as the stomach flu, is the most common virus to afflict cruises. These often-packed floating hotels create the ideal environment for the highly contagious bug to spread fast, typically through contaminated water, food, surfaces, and people.

Just as quickly, it can ruin your vacation — the four predominant symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain.

To help mitigate these incidents, the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program regularly inspects cruise liners and scores them from zero to 100.

MSC Meraviglia is one of 18 cruise ships to have received a perfect score from the CDC so far in 2024.

Florent Serfari/Reuters

The review — which includes checking common spaces like kitchens, pools, and children's activity centers — is random and unannounced.

As expected, vermin and improperly stored foods are a big no-no. But inspectors are also closely watching behind the scenes for smaller, more nuanced details like how frequently the hair and lint strainer in the swimming pool is disinfected or the water temperature of the dish washer.

So far, in 2024, the CDC has inspected 116 cruise ships. The majority scored above 95, and 18 (listed below) have received perfect marks:

• Carnival Spirit — Carnival Cruise Line (inspected September 3)
• Viking Orion — Viking Ocean Cruises (inspected August 18)
• Seabourn Odyssey — Seabourn Cruise Line (inspected August 16)
• Norwegian Jewel — Norwegian Cruise Line (inspected July 24)
• Oceania Regatta — Oceania Cruises (inspected July 24)
• Radiance of the Seas — Royal Caribbean International (inspected July 21)
• MSC Meraviglia — MSC Cruises (inspected July 9)
• Norwegian Bliss — Norwegian Cruise Line (inspected June 22)
• MSC Seashore — MSC Cruises (inspected May 26)
• Norwegian Sky — Norwegian Cruise Line (May 23)
• Brilliance of the Seas — Royal Caribbean International (May 16)
• Viking Polaris — Viking (April 2)
• Celebrity Equinox — Celebrity Cruises (February 25)
• Norwegian Breakaway — Norwegian Cruise Line (February 25)
• Norwegian Escape — Norwegian Cruise Line (January 27)
• Explora I — MSC Cruises (January 25)
• Disney Fantasy — Disney Cruise Line (January 24)
• Celebrity Ascent — Celebrity Cruises (January 7)
• Norwegian Gem — Norwegian Cruise Line (January 2)

This time last year, 29 ships had achieved 100. By the end of 2023, 34 vessels racked a perfect score.

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