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We tend to believe we know what “middle class” means. After all, it seems easy enough to define if we only consider income. But being a part of the middle class is more complicated than it may seem at first; factors like location and debt also play a role. For example, a person who makes $40,000 per year may be middle-class in a small, rural town. But that same income in a large coastal city would be well below the median income.
Thus, a better way to think about the middle class is to consider how much people need to get by given all of these intersecting factors. Pew Research defines being middle-class as making 75% and 200% of the median income. By looking at the median household income figures from the most recently available U.S. census data, we’ve found just how much you’d need to earn to live comfortably in these major U.S. cities.
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San Francisco, California
Median household income: $121,826
In San Francisco, the median household income is $121,826. Thus, the middle-class income ranges from $81,209 to $243,652. These numbers are higher than the middle-class income for most cities; in fact, the median income for San Francisco is the highest in the nation among the top 25 most populated cities.
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Seattle, Washington
Median household income: $110,781
The median household income in Seattle is $110,781. Here, the middle-class income range is $73,847 to $221,562. Seattle also has the second-highest median income.
Washington D.C.
Median household income: $90,088
The nation’s capital has the third-highest median household income among major U.S. cities. The range of middle-class incomes is $60,053 to $180,176, which is significantly higher than the national average range ($46,478 to $139,434).
Denver, Colorado
Median household income: $81,630
Denver has seen expansive growth in recent years and it maintains a high level of income. The middle-class income range in Denver is $54,415 to $163,260.
Austin, Texas
Median household income: $79,542
Austin is another city that has been exploding in population growth. Its median income is only slightly less than that of Denver, with a middle-class income range of $53,023 to $159,084.
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Boston, Massachusetts
Median household income: $79,283
Boston has the sixth-highest median income in the nation, though its median is noticeably less than that of D.C. The median income puts its middle-class range at between $52,850 and $158,566.
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Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: To determine what you need to make to be considered middle-class in six American cities, GOBankingRates used Pew Research’s definition of middle class which is as follows: “middle-income” adults in 2021 are those with an annual household income that was two-thirds to double the national median income”. With these parameters set, GOBankingRates found each city’s (1) median household income as sourced from the 2021 American Community Survey conducted by the US Census Bureau. With this figure GOBankingRates also found each city’s (2) low end of middle-class income and (3) high-end of middle-class income. All data was collected and up to date as of September 26, 2022.
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FAQs
The Pew Research Center defines the middle class as households that earn between two-thirds and double the median U.S. household income, which was $65,000 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
What is middle class income in major US cities? ›
Pew defines “middle class” as those earning between two-thirds and twice the median American household income, which in 2021 was $70,784, according to the United States Census Bureau. That means American households earning as little as $47,189 and up to $141,568 are technically in the middle class.
Is $300000 a year middle class? ›
$300,000 Feels Like A Middle-Class Income
Psychologically, earning $300,000 feels OK because it puts the household in the top 10% of household income earners. But making $300,000 feels like a middle-class income due to how little cash flow is left. A household needs to earn $470,000+ to be in the top 1% in 2022-2023.
How much do you think you need to be considered middle class? ›
Middle Class Defined by Region. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median income in 2021 was $70,784. So American families earning between $47,189 and $141,568 are technically in the middle class, according to the Pew Research Center's definition.
Is $50000 a year considered 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”.
Is 75k a year middle class? ›
According to a Pew study released last fall, the median income of middle-class American households is $70,784, based on Census data from 2021, the latest available. (Pew defines middle class as two-thirds to twice the U.S. median household income, adjusted for household size.)
What is considered middle class by city? ›
Three out of the top five cities with the highest income thresholds for the middle class are located in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. These middle income residents need to make at least $81,623 in San Francisco, $84,673 in San Jose and $104,499 in Fremont.
How much money is upper-middle class? ›
Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range.
Where do upper-middle class live in us? ›
In last year's study (which looked at 2017-2018 IRS migration data), the top six states where upper-middle class people moved to were Florida, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Is 500k a year rich? ›
Based on that figure, an annual income of $500,000 or more would make you rich. The Economic Policy Institute uses a different baseline to determine who constitutes the top 1% and the top 5%. For 2021, you're in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year. The top 5% of income earners make $335,891 per year.
If you had an income of $200,000, that would put you in the top 10% of household incomes or the top 5% of individual incomes in 2021.
Is $150,000 a year middle class? ›
Across the entire country, that range is between $47,189 and $141,568, based on Census Bureau income data. But $150,000 is still a middle-class income by Pew's definition in nearly half of the country's 50 most-populated metropolitan areas, where incomes tend to be high.
What income is middle class 2023? ›
According to the Pew Research Center's guidelines (two-thirds to double the national media), middle-income Americans would thus have annual incomes between $38,133 and $114,400 in 2023, before adjusting for local cost of living and household size. Read: How to Calculate Your Net Worth.
What is considered wealthy? ›
To feel wealthy, Americans say you need a net worth of at least $2.2 million on average, according to financial services company Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth Survey. But even if you have that much in the bank, it might not be enough to be considered rich in certain places, the survey found.
What is considered rich? ›
Americans need at least $2.2 million in assets to be considered rich, according to Charles Schwab's 2023 Modern Wealth Survey. The investment platform surveyed 1,000 Americans to determine the average net worth required to be considered wealthy in America.
Is $200 K middle class? ›
If you had an income of $200,000, that would put you in the top 10% of household incomes or the top 5% of individual incomes in 2021. Though I prefer household income over individual income, no matter how you cut it, $200k a year puts you on the higher end of the income spectrum.
Is $150 K middle class? ›
Across the entire country, that range is between $47,189 and $141,568, based on Census Bureau income data. But $150,000 is still a middle-class income by Pew's definition in nearly half of the country's 50 most-populated metropolitan areas, where incomes tend to be high.
What is considered middle upper class in USA? ›
Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range. "The upper middle class has grown...and its composition has changed.
How much money is middle upper class? ›
Lower-income households had incomes less than $48,500; Upper-income households had incomes greater than $145,500; Middle-income households fell into a range between those two numbers.
