I've read in the Regency Encyclopedia that an income of at least 10,000 pounds a year was necessary to keep a house in town year-round. That estimate always seemed very high to me, but it's by no means certain that Bingley would have been able to afford to purchase and maintain a house in town, at least not in those highly fashionable neighborhoods. Most families would just rent one for the season, and I can certainly see that a bachelor would have no reason to rent a house just for himself. There were also lodging houses that catered to rich young men, and I would more expect to see him in some place like that, should he not care to live with family or friends.
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