Abstract: The subject of this study is the peculiarities of formation of economic claims of the residents of Irkutsk region. Economic claims are not the indicator of the quality of life and social wellness of the residents of one or another region, but rather form depending on the external circumstances of city development, as well as internal conditions of adjustment to the changing living standards of the dwellers themselves. Small and large cities have their own specificities and culture, substantiated by the history and culture of the territory, establishing the framework for emergence of the economic claims among the residents. First, the authors arranged cities: large, medium, and small (according to GM Lappo); then applied a method survey involving 2,200 residents alongside the 22 expert interviews in the same cities. The main conclusion of the research consists in the thesis that large cities form the inflated economic claims of their dwellers; residents of small cities are willing to exaggerate their living standards towards the average. Residents of the large cities establish their economic claims based on the salaries and alternative ways to improve the financial status, while for the inhabitants of small towns, the category of economic claims includes social service and providing benefits for society.