The first thing to remember about Seinfeld is that its characters all have homes in NYC, one of the most expensive cities in terms of living costs. Therefore, it can be assumed that people who rent lose a decent chunk of their income every month to their respective landlords.

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Another important point is that different characters earn money in different ways — Jerry's stand-up is a roaring success in comparison with George's various attempts at a job, while Elaine's mediocre earnings are eclipsed by Kramer's mysterious access to all the money he could ever need or want. How rich are Seinfeld characters really, though?

George Costanza

You Know I Always Wanted George Costanza in Seinfeld

George's career is a masterclass in how not to behave in the workplace, which is why it's not surprising that he's constantly in need of cash. He also has a habit of blowing any windfalls without investing anything, like when his minor stock market victory turns him into a benevolent over-spender.

George purchases cigars he knows he can't afford, and insists that the waitress at Monk's take a much larger tip than usual. On the other hand, it's not easy to imagine him saving money, either.

Frank & Estelle Costanza

Frank and Estelle at a table in Seinfeld

Frank and Estelle own a lovely two-story brick bungalow in Queens; the size and quality of the building reflect the Costanzas' wealth in a few ways.

Unfortunately, there is little evidence that they have tons of liquid cash lying around (except for vacation money.) While it's possible that Frank's packrat mentality extends to his finances, the Costanzas seem pretty middle-class people, at least considering that they live in NYC.

Uncle Leo

Uncle Leo pointing at Jerry and talking to him on Seinfeld

Uncle Leo, Helen Seinfeld's brother, is not someone Jerry likes meeting (or observing from a distance) very often. The man is so focused on his son Jeffrey's career that it's all he can talk about.

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Uncle Leo is a retiree, so there isn't any flow of income that audiences know of. But that doesn't mean that he's poor, because the fact that he constantly bumps into Jerry in Manhattan means that he has a home somewhere in that area. And everyone knows how exorbitant Manhattan real estate prices are.

Morty & Helen Seinfeld

Helen and Morty Seinfeld

Jerry's parents are quite comfortable at their current stage in life, having retired and moved to the decently fancy Del Boca Vista condominium complex in Florida.

This implies that they don't have too many fiscal cares in the world. Morty and Helen Seinfeld are regularly embarrassed (because of their friends) when Jerry buys them expensive gifts, meaning that they can get by without any assistance from their son.

Newman

Newman in his postal service jacket on Seinfeld, talking to Jerry in his kitchen.

Newman is allegedly employed by the USPS, although how much actual postman work he does is anybody's guess. He's at home during daylight hours half the time, not to mention finding excuses to create problems for Jerry every chance he gets.

To be fair, Newman has openly declared that the USPS is a flawed organization that doesn't believe in its own motto, so it's likely that he gets paid regardless of his shoddy labor. He also resides in Manhattan, so he can somehow afford to.

Elaine Benes

Elaine laughing on Seinfeld

Elaine Benes is the only main character to have had a steady stream of jobs, nearly all of which she is good at (to a point, of course.)

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She initially cannot afford to front the $5,000 required to secure the apartment above Jerry's, but her later residences seem much larger than her friend's. That being said, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' family business might be valued in the billions, but Elaine Benes is not anywhere near that level.

Susan Ross

The Susan Ross Foundation and George in Seinfeld

Susan Ross makes bank as an NBC Executive, and even though she's fired from her job (because, obviously, of George), she's got her familial wealth. Her to-be husband later learns that the Rosses had planned to gift the newlyweds a large house, along with a considerable sum of money.

The mansion is currently being for the Susan Ross Foundation, which upsets George more than it should. What's interesting is that when Susan's apartment is shown, it doesn't look any more expensive than George's.

J. Peterman

Peterman holding a cup of coffee on Seinfeld

Jacopo Peterman, Elaine's boss at the J. Peterman Catalog company, is bizarre, to say the least. His jagged speech patterns and general disregard for orthodoxy make him one of the zanier characters in an already absurd show.

Considering that he owns the company, Peterman can be considered quite rich, but his expenditures leave a lot to be desired. In one case, he travels to Myanmar so he can avoid his many issues, living there for several months.

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld doing stand up on Seinfeld

Jerry evidently doesn't like to show off, but hints dropped throughout the show indicate that the stand-up comedian is far from middle-class, even by New York standards. He continues to live in the same apartment for the nine years of Seinfeld, but his income has expanded gradually.

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In the first few seasons, the most he can afford are flights to Florida or lending a few thousand dollars. In the later seasons, Jerry buys a Cadillac Fleetwood for his parents, who resell the car; which makes him angry, so he buys it again, losing at least $20,000, a sum that he seemingly forgets by the next episodes.

Cosmo Kramer

Kramer as an underwear model

There is little solid proof to support Kramer being the wealthiest character in Seinfeld, but there is no other explanation for his existence.

He might steal food and other consumables from Jerry, and bother his neighbor with his constant interruptions, but Kramer is still able to live where he does and have no job. His get-rich schemes implode in his face more often than not, so it's possible that Kramer obtains financial security from inheritances, lawsuit payouts, it's anyone's guess, really.

NEXT: Seinfeld: 10 Most Memorable Scenes In Monk's Cafe