(NEXSTAR) — It can be hard to tell if you rank as middle class, especially when it feels like your paycheck doesn’t go as far as it once did (one government analysis suggests you need at least $10,000 more just to live like you did three years ago).
A new report from personal finance site SmartAsset reviewed data from the U.S. Census Bureau as well as the Pew Research Center to determine what it does take — at least on paper — to be considered middle class in all 50 states and 345 of the nation’s largest cities.
The analysis used the Pew Research definition of “middle income,” which says a middle class salary range is two-thirds to double the area’s median salary. As of 2022 (the most recent Census data), the average median household income in the U.S. was $73,914, meaning the national range for the middle class is roughly $49,271 to $147,828. Across the nation’s largest cities, the range is between $51,558 and $154,590, according to SmartAsset.
Depending on where you live, that range can vary greatly.
Nowhere was the middle class range as drastic as New Jersey, where SmartAsset determined the difference between the lower class and upper class was a whopping $128,468. Your household would need to earn at least $64,224 to be considered middle class in the Garden State, and earning more than $192,692 would put you in the upper class.
In addition to New Jersey, you need an annual household salary of at least $50,000 to be considered middle class in 17 states: Oregon, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, Delaware, Minnesota, Virginia, Alaska, Connecticut, Utah, Colorado, New Hampshire, Washington, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Maryland.
A person considered middle class in New Jersey could easily rank among the wealthiest in Mississippi, which had the lowest middle class range on SmartAsset’s list. In the Magnolia State, earning between $35,142 and $105,438 would put you in the middle class.
The interactive table below shows each state’s middle class range based on SmartAsset’s report.
For best viewing on mobile, turn your device horizontally. Still unable to view the table? Click here.
While New Jersey had the highest state-level middle class range, none of its cities ranked among the 10 most expensive cities. Instead, California cities dominated the upper end of the list.
It was Sunnyvale, a Bay Area city northwest of San Jose, that has the richest middle class range: you need a household salary of at least $113,176 to be “middle income.” If you have your sights set for upper class status in Sunnyvale, SmartAsset determined you would need a salary of at least $339,562.
In six cities — California’s Sunnyvale, Fremont, San Mateo, and Santa Clara; Bellevue, Washington; and Highlands Ranch, Colorado — you need a household salary of more than $101,000 to be a middle-earner.
A six-figure salary would put you among the upper class in the 10 cities on the opposite end of SmartAsset’s list. The most affordable city, the report found, was Detroit, where an annual salary of just $24,300 would make you middle class. Close behind was Cleveland, Ohio, which had a low-end middle class benchmark of $24,898.
Across the 10 cities with the lowest middle class range, a household salary of at least $30,000 would be enough to qualify as a middle income earner.
The interactive table below shows the 345 cities SmartAsset analyzed, as well as the lower and upper bounds of their middle class.
For best viewing on mobile, turn your device horizontally. Still unable to view the table? Click here.
You can view SmartAsset’s full report here.
Though it has tumbled from a peak of 9.1% in the summer of 2022, inflation has remained elevated so far this year. Prices excluding volatile food and energy costs rose 3.8% in March from a year earlier, the same as in the previous month and well above the Federal Reserve’s target. On Thursday, the Labor Department reported that the four-week average number of Americans filing for jobless benefits has remained unchanged, defying efforts by the Fed to cool hiring.
Last week, in an exclusive interview with Nexstar, the parent company of this outlet, President Joe Biden admitted inflation is being “stubborn and not going down to 2%.” He further called our economy “the strongest…of any country in the world,” but adding, “we’ve got more to do.”
“We’ve created over 15 million new jobs. And the salaries are outpacing the cost of inflation. Lot of good happening,” he added. “But still, it’s those small things that matter in a big way to ordinary people. And that’s what we have to work on.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FAQs
In a large U.S. city, a middle-class income averages between $52,000 and $155,000. The median household income across all 345 cities is $77,345, making middle-class income limits fall between $51,558 and $154,590.
What makes you middle class? ›
According to the OECD, the middle class refers to households with income between 75% and 200% of the median national income.
What is the middle class income in California? ›
The personal finance website defined middle class as “those with an annual household income that is two-thirds to double the median income.” In California, the middle-class household income ranges between $61,270 to $183,810, a nearly 50% increase from where it stood in 2012 when it was $40,933 to $122,800.
What is the middle class income in NYC 2024? ›
To be considered middle class, you must have “an annual household income that is two-thirds to double the median income,” according to GOBankingRates. In New York, the income range to be considered middle class is $54,257 to $162,772, according to the study.
Are you considered middle class if you make $50000 a year? ›
According to the latest Census Bureau data from 2022, the median household income in the U.S. was $74,580. Based on that number, if you earn between $50,000 and $150,000 a year, you qualify as middle class.
Is $30000 a year considered middle class? ›
You also need an annual household salary of at least $50,000 to be considered middle class in 17 other states, including California, New York, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Hawaii.
How do you tell if you're middle class? ›
Lower middle class: Those in the 20th to 40th percentile of household income, between $28,008 and $55,000. Middle class: Those in the 40th to 60th percentile of household income, ranging from $55,001 to $89,744. Upper middle class: Households in the 60th to 80th percentile, with incomes between $89,745 and $149,131.
Does middle class mean wealthy? ›
The middle class is the economic stratum between the working class and the wealthy. In the United States, the middle class occupies about half of the population, mainly consisting of people who work in white-collar professions, small businesses, or skilled trades.
Are doctors middle class? ›
The lower middle class is often made up of less educated people with lower incomes, such as managers, small business owners, teachers, and secretaries. The upper middle class is often made up of highly educated business and professional people with high incomes, such as doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers, and CEOs.
What's considered a good salary? ›
What Is Considered a Good Salary? Well, what makes a good salary depends on you, your needs, and your values. But for most folks, a good salary is one you can live on comfortably, meaning your basic needs, like food, utilities, housing, transportation and clothes, are taken care of each month without going into debt.
According to the Census Bureau's Income in the United States: 2022 report, the median household income is $74,580 (a 2.3% decline from 2021), while household income levels for each class level are as follows: Lower class: less than or equal to $30,000. Lower-middle class: $30,001 – $58,020.
What is the upper class income? ›
To be upper class in states with the 10 highest median incomes, households must make above $178,300 — and must make above $202,000 in Washington, DC. Mississippi had the lowest income needed to be upper class, at $105,400, while West Virginia's figure was $108,600.
What is the minimum income to be considered middle class? ›
In California, the middle class income range for 2022 was $61,270 to $183,810. Compare that to the average in 2012, which was $40,933 to $122,800. That's a 10-year change of 49.68%. Those figures pushed California to #4 on the list ranking U.S. states where the middle class income has increased.
What is the new middle class salary? ›
As of 2022 (the most recent Census data), the average median household income in the U.S. was $73,914, meaning the national range for the middle class is roughly $49,271 to $147,828. Across the nation's largest cities, the range is between $51,558 and $154,590, according to SmartAsset.
Is $25,000 a year middle class? ›
What Is A Middle-Class Income? Statisticians say middle class is a household income between $25,000 and $100,000 a year. Anything above $100,000 is deemed “upper middle class”.
What salary is upper class? ›
Upper-middle class: $94,001 – $153,000. Upper class: greater than $153,000.
Is 75K a year middle class for a single person? ›
Is $75K a Year Considered Middle Class? There's no single definition of “middle class.” According to the Pew Research Center, middle class households have an income that's between two-thirds and twice the U.S. median household income of $70,784. (A $75,000 salary falls easily within this range.)
Is $100,000 a year considered middle class? ›
Broadly speaking, you can count yourself as a member of America's middle class if your earnings fall within a specific $100,000 salary range.
How much income is considered rich? ›
How rich is rich in California? As of 2022, the top 5% of earners in the state made $613,602 a year on average, according to a recent analysis from personal finance site GoBankingRates. That's roughly a 37% increase from 2017, when top earners raked in an average annual income of $447,207.
