Some interesting points along the way.

I would agree with a lot of your point of view, churumbeque. It's not the job or the actual income that defines a person, especially during this recession. As I've said before, when I was a teacher, women would refuse to go out with me because of a teacher's pay or lack of advancement options. That was the end of the discussion, with no willingness to see who I was as a person.

Then, for 8-9 years, I was busting my tail starting a new business. For a few years, if I needed a $40 programming book, I had to, at 40 years old, ask Dad for help with it. But that was the starting phase of the business. Now I drive two Mercedes convertibles and every now and then women show interest in the antique and think it means wealth. I tell them to get lost. (Actually, I just use the word "pre-nup" to drive them off.)

I may or may not be the kind of many you're looking for, but I admit that it was frustrating being in debt to start my business and even tougher having to ask for help to buy something as low as a $40 technical book. During those times I did get judged and eliminated from dating based on my income, but, oddly enough, now some of the same women (and on Match, yes, some of the exact same women) are now willing to date me, which is why I changed the setting and hid my income.

I was and am a hard worker (or was when I still had to work). And there are many times you cannot tell what is going on with a person just by their income level. You'll find some very interesting people in jobs not known for a high income, including teachers, musicians, social workers, some dance instructors, and more. Point blank, I think selecting dates based on income level is almost as shallow as one can get. But that's my opinion.

As to the men you meet, how many are still rebuilding after divorce, or pay a lot on child support? Or are they paying for their kids in college? Is that an influence? And about the man in the apartment, yes I would wonder. Even if he just doesn't like yard work, renting is throwing money away every month when making a condo payment instead increases your equity. (Unless your loan is HUGE.) Both men AND women should, but the time they're in their 40s, have assets and a good retirement plan in the works.

I don't make a judgement on income level or job, but I admit now that those few times I get an eH match (which is rare), I'm relieved when they're a teacher or social worker, or someone else in a field that is usually "high interest" and low income, since I know they are more interested in the person than the money. That is true in other professions, but not always.