Shocking amount you need to earn to be considered middle class in each state
Would you consider yourself to be middle class?
It's quite a loaded question, and ideas of what 'middle class' is can vary by country.
For example, the UK has taken on an idea of class which is as much about culture and social status as it is about how much you earn.
A plumber or electrician might earn a lot more money than their neighbour who is a university lecturer, but the latter would be considered 'middle class' while the former might still consider themselves 'working class'.
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In the US, however, this distinction is based far more on what you earn and the lifestyle that you can afford as a result.
And spoiler alert - the thresholds for this are now high.
If you want to be considered middle class, then it can vary a lot depending on where in the US you actually live, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2023, which was analyzed by SmartAsset.
So, someone living in Massachusetts would need an annual income ranging between $66,565 - $199,716 to be considered middle class.
While a range of $36,132 to $108,406 defines Mississippi’s middle class at the state level.
Astonishingly, a report from Forbes in 2023, the year of this data, claimed that 'over half' of people in the US earning over $100k a year were still living 'paycheck to paycheck' - a far cry from a middle class lifestyle, which often comes with a certain level of security.
This was also played out in a 2024 survey by the National True Cost of Living Coalition, which claimed that two-thirds of Americans defined as middle class claimed that they were struggling with their finances.
It does seem rather a contradiction in terms given that middle class implies financial securities such as saving, investing, and being able to make big purchases like cars, appliances, or furniture without relying on financing.
If that's the case, then it challenges the idea of what 'middle class' even means.
Here is the full list of the middle class income levels in every state, in alphabetical order:
Alabama
- Low end: $41,471
- High end: $124,424
- Median household income: $62,212
Alaska
- Low end: $57,748
- High end: $173,262
- Median household income: $86,631
Arizona
- Low end: $51,538
- High end: $154,630
- Median household income: $77,315
Arkansas
- Low end: $39,129
- High end: $117,400
- Median household income: $58,700
California
- Low end: $63,674
- High end: $191,042
- Median household income: $95,521
Colorado
- Low end: $61,934
- High end: $185,822
- Median household income: $92,911
Connecticut
- Low end: $61,104
- High end: $183,330
- Median household income: $91,665
Delaware
- Low end: $54,235
- High end: $162,722
- Median household income: $81,361
Florida
- Low end: $48,869
- High end: $146,622
- Median household income: $73,311
Georgia
- Low end: $49,750
- High end: $149,264
- Median household income: $74,632
Hawaii
- Low end: $63,542
- High end: $190,644
- Median household income: $95,322
Idaho
- Low end: $49,956
- High end: $149,884
- Median household income: $74,942
Illinois
- Low end: $53,532
- High end: $160,612
- Median household income: $80,306
Indiana
- Low end: $46,313
- High end: $138,954
- Median household income: $69,477
Iowa
- Low end: $47,617
- High end: $142,866
- Median household income: $71,433
Kansas
- Low end: $46,884
- High end: $140,666
- Median household income: $70,333
Kentucky
- Low end: $40,741
- High end: $122,236
- Median household income: $61,118
Louisiana
- Low end: $38,815
- High end: $116,458
- Median household income: $58,229
Maine
- Low end: $49,150
- High end: $147,466
- Median household income: $73,733
Maryland
- Low end: $65,779
- High end: $197,356
- Median household income: $98,678
Massachusetts
- Low end: $66,565
- High end: $199,716
- Median household income: $99,858
Michigan
- Low end: $46,117
- High end: $138,366
- Median household income: $69,183
Minnesota
- Low end: $56,718
- High end: $170,172
- Median household income: $85,086
Mississippi
- Low end: $36,132
- High end: $108,406
- Median household income: $54,203
Missouri
- Low end: $45,692
- High end: $137,090
- Median household income: $68,545
Montana
- Low end: $47,198
- High end: $141,608
- Median household income: $70,804
Nebraska
- Low end: $49,722
- High end: $149,180
- Median household income: $74,590
Nevada
- Low end: $50,904
- High end: $152,728
- Median household income: $76,364
New Hampshire
- Low end: $64,552
- High end: $193,676
- Median household income: $96,838
New Jersey
- Low end: $66,514
- High end: $199,562
- Median household income: $99,781
New Mexico
- Low end: $41,508
- High end: $124,536
- Median household income: $62,268
New York
- Low end: $54,725
- High end: $164,190
- Median household income: $82,095
North Carolina
- Low end: $47,198
- High end: $141,608
- Median household income: $70,804
North Dakota
- Low end: $51,012
- High end: $153,050
- Median household income: $76,525
Ohio
- Low end: $45,175
- High end: $135,538
- Median household income: $67,769
Oklahoma
- Low end: $41,421
- High end: $124,276
- Median household income: $62,138
Oregon
- Low end: $53,435
- High end: $160,320
- Median household income: $80,160
Pennsylvania
- Low end: $49,211
- High end: $147,648
- Median household income: $73,824
Rhode Island
- Low end: $56,642
- High end: $169,944
- Median household income: $84,972
South Carolina
- Low end: $45,198
- High end: $135,608
- Median household income: $67,804
South Dakota
- Low end: $47,869
- High end: $143,620
- Median household income: $71,810
Tennessee
- Low end: $45,083
- High end: $135,262
- Median household income: $67,631
Texas
- Low end: $50,515
- High end: $151,560
- Median household income: $75,780
Utah
- Low end: $62,274
- High end: $186,842
- Median household income: $93,421
Vermont
- Low end: $54,135
- High end: $162,422
- Median household income: $81,211
Virginia
- Low end: $59,948
- High end: $179,862
- Median household income: $89,931
Washington
- Low end: $63,064
- High end: $189,210
- Median household income: $94,605
West Virginia
- Low end: $37,295
- High end: $111,896
- Median household income: $55,948
Wisconsin
- Low end: $49,749
- High end: $149,262
- Median household income: $74,631
Wyoming
- Low end: $48,272
- High end: $144,830
- Median household income: $72,415
Kit Roberts