Year-to-year income of the top 1% is probably a poor measure of "staying on top".
I would like to see those numbers controlled for wealth. Some of those people whose incomes move in and out of the top 1% are just in boom-or-bust jobs or own boom-or-bust businesses or investments. Others are big earners who recently retired to extremely comfortable fixed incomes.
Neither category really fits what I would think of as someone losing his or her "on top" status.
On the other hand, moving from a high-income high cost-of-living area (SF or NYC) to a lower-income, low cost-of-living area (Boulder, KC, or Charlotte) will technically move you out of the 1% while improving your standard of living.
I would like to see those numbers controlled for wealth. Some of those people whose incomes move in and out of the top 1% are just in boom-or-bust jobs or own boom-or-bust businesses or investments. Others are big earners who recently retired to extremely comfortable fixed incomes.
Neither category really fits what I would think of as someone losing his or her "on top" status.
On the other hand, moving from a high-income high cost-of-living area (SF or NYC) to a lower-income, low cost-of-living area (Boulder, KC, or Charlotte) will technically move you out of the 1% while improving your standard of living.