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The salary you need to be considered middle class in every U.S. state
The salary you need to be considered middle class in every U.S. state
A six-figure household income doesn’t necessarily make you rich — in many cases, it just means you’re middle class.
The upper bound of what’s considered middle class for households exceeds $100,000 in every U.S. state, according to a SmartAsset analysis of 2023 income data, the most recent available from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The report, which crunched the numbers for all 50 states, is based on Pew Research’s definition of middle class: two-thirds to double the median household income.
On that measure, Massachusetts has the highest threshold for middle-class salaries, overtaking New Jersey from last year’s rankings. A household there needs between $66,565 and $199,716 to be considered middle class, with the upper boundary increasing by nearly $11,000 from the previous report.
A six-figure income doesn't go as far as it used to
Even as more households earn six-figure salaries, many middle-class earners are feeling the squeeze. While inflation-adjusted wages have risen since 2022, those gains have been largely offset by increasing costs since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Housing and food, in particular, have become more expensive. From January 2020 to December 2024, home prices climbed 52%, according to the Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, while food prices rose 30%, based on Consumer Price Index data. Over the same period, overall inflation grew 25%.
Rising costs help explain why two-thirds of middle-class Americans said they were struggling financially and didn’t expect their situation to improve in a 2024 survey from the National True Cost of Living Coalition.
Since then, year-over-year inflation has hovered around 3%, still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target but far below its June 2022 peak of 9.1%. But although price increases have slowed, the cumulative effect of the past few years has eroded many Americans’ spending power. As a result, a six-figure income may not stretch as far as it once did.
Below, see what’s considered middle class in your state.
Alabama
Low end of middle class: $41,471
High end of middle class: $124,424
Median household income: $62,212
Alaska
Low end of middle class: $57,748
High end of middle class: $173,262
Median household income: $86,631
Arizona
Low end of middle class: $51,538
High end of middle class: $154,630
Median household income: $77,315
Arkansas
Low end of middle class: $39,129
High end of middle class: $117,400
Median household income: $58,700
California
Low end of middle class: $63,674
High end of middle class: $191,042
Median household income: $95,521
Colorado
Low end of middle class: $61,934
High end of middle class: $185,822
Median household income: $92,911
Connecticut
Low end of middle class: $61,104
High end of middle class: $183,330
Median household income: $91,665
Delaware
Low end of middle class: $54,235
High end of middle class: $162,722
Median household income: $81,361
Florida
Low end of middle class: $48,869
High end of middle class: $146,622
Median household income: $73,311
Georgia
Low end of middle class: $49,750
High end of middle class: $149,264
Median household income: $74,632
Hawaii
Low end of middle class: $63,542
High end of middle class: $190,644
Median household income: $95,322
Idaho
Low end of middle class: $49,956
High end of middle class: $149,884
Median household income: $74,942
Illinois
Low end of middle class: $53,532
High end of middle class: $160,612
Median household income: $80,306
Indiana
Low end of middle class: $46,313
High end of middle class: $138,954
Median household income: $69,477
Iowa
Low end of middle class: $47,617
High end of middle class: $142,866
Median household income: $71,433
Kansas
Low end of middle class: $46,884
High end of middle class: $140,666
Median household income: $70,333
Kentucky
Low end of middle class: $40,741
High end of middle class: $122,236
Median household income: $61,118
Louisiana
Low end of middle class: $38,815
High end of middle class: $116,458
Median household income: $58,229
Maine
Low end of middle class: $49,150
High end of middle class: $147,466
Median household income: $73,733
Maryland
Low end of middle class: $65,779
High end of middle class: $197,356
Median household income: $98,678
Massachusetts
Low end of middle class: $66,565
High end of middle class: $199,716
Median household income: $99,858
Michigan
Low end of middle class: $46,117
High end of middle class: $138,366
Median household income: $69,183
Minnesota
Low end of middle class: $56,718
High end of middle class: $170,172
Median household income: $85,086
Mississippi
Low end of middle class: $36,132
High end of middle class: $108,406
Median household income: $54,203
Missouri
Low end of middle class: $45,692
High end of middle class: $137,090
Median household income: $68,545
Montana
Low end of middle class: $47,198
High end of middle class: $141,608
Median household income: $70,804
Nebraska
Low end of middle class: $49,722
High end of middle class: $149,180
Median household income: $74,590
Nevada
Low end of middle class: $50,904
High end of middle class: $152,728
Median household income: $76,364
New Hampshire
Low end of middle class: $64,552
High end of middle class: $193,676
Median household income: $96,838
New Jersey
Low end of middle class: $66,514
High end of middle class: $199,562
Median household income: $99,781
New Mexico
Low end of middle class: $41,508
High end of middle class: $124,536
Median household income: $62,268
New York
Low end of middle class: $54,725
High end of middle class: $164,190
Median household income: $82,095
North Carolina
Low end of middle class: $47,198
High end of middle class: $141,608
Median household income: $70,804
North Dakota
Low end of middle class: $51,012
High end of middle class: $153,050
Median household income: $76,525
Ohio
Low end of middle class: $45,175
High end of middle class: $135,538
Median household income: $67,769
Oklahoma
Low end of middle class: $41,421
High end of middle class: $124,276
Median household income: $62,138
Oregon
Low end of middle class: $53,435
High end of middle class: $160,320
Median household income: $80,160
Pennsylvania
Low end of middle class: $49,211
High end of middle class: $147,648
Median household income: $73,824
Rhode Island
Low end of middle class: $56,642
High end of middle class: $169,944
Median household income: $84,972
South Carolina
Low end of middle class: $45,198
High end of middle class: $135,608
Median household income: $67,804
South Dakota
Low end of middle class: $47,869
High end of middle class: $143,620
Median household income: $71,810
Tennessee
Low end of middle class: $45,083
High end of middle class: $135,262
Median household income: $67,631
Texas
Low end of middle class: $50,515
High end of middle class: $151,560
Median household income: $75,780
Utah
Low end of middle class: $62,274
High end of middle class: $186,842
Median household income: $93,421
Vermont
Low end of middle class: $54,135
High end of middle class: $162,422
Median household income: $81,211
Virginia
Low end of middle class: $59,948
High end of middle class: $179,862
Median household income: $89,931
Washington
Low end of middle class: $63,064
High end of middle class: $189,210
Median household income: $94,605
West Virginia
Low end of middle class: $37,295
High end of middle class: $111,896
Median household income: $55,948
Wisconsin
Low end of middle class: $49,749
High end of middle class: $149,262
Recommended
Median household income: $74,631
Wyoming
Low end of middle class: $48,272
High end of middle class: $144,830
Median household income: $72,415
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