Here's how much you need to earn to be middle class in each big US city
A Business Insider analysis reveals the household income needed to be middle class in major US cities, and they're highest in California and Virginia.
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- A Business Insider analysis reveals the household income needed to be middle class in major US cities.
- Some parts of the Bay Area require over $100,000 to even be considered middle class.
- Middle-class cutoffs vary widely; they're highest in the West and lowest in the South.
Most Americans consider themselves middle class, but in reality, the cutoffs are more limiting. In some states, just over 40% of residents fall in the middle-income bracket.
This chart shows exactly how much it takes in each major US city to be considered upper, middle, and lower class.
A Business Insider analysis of US Census Bureau data for about 400 metropolitan areas reveals that in some parts of the Bay Area, your household needs to make six figures to be considered middle class, while in a few cities in the South, making six figures is upper class.
Inspired by a GoBankingRates analysis, BI looked at all large metro areas tracked by the US Census Bureau in 2022. BI determined middle-class cutoffs using Pew Research Center's definition of earning between two-thirds and double each metro's median income.
The following table shows our results for all 392 metro areas, sorted from highest to lowest. You can find your hometown using the search bar:
In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area in California, being middle class means a household must earn between $99,267 and $297,800. Meanwhile, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, middle-class households make between $29,509 and $88,526.
The Census Bureau notes the real median household income nationally was $74,580 in 2022. This would be considered below middle class in the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley and Washington DC-Arlington-Alexandria metro areas.
Many of the highest-cutoff metro areas are in the West, with seven of the top 20 in California, two in Colorado and Washington, and one in Utah. Among the lowest 20, almost all were in the south in states like Arkansas, Texas, and Georgia.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area was outside the top 20 with cutoffs of $61,041 to $183,124. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area was not in the top 50, with cutoffs of $55,276 to $165,828.
Though many Americans may fall into the middle class, according to these calculations, many are still struggling to afford their basic necessities. Some in the ALICE — asset limited, income constrained, employed — demographic have told BI they're worried they may never retire as much of their income goes to expenses such as food, rent, and transportation. For many older Americans, Social Security doesn't cover everything, forcing many to take part- or full-time jobs in their retirement years.
This stress often doesn't go away even as Americans climb the income ladder. HENRYs — or high earners, not rich yet — often make six figures but have told BI that their savings feel inadequate in the case of an emergency or job loss, forcing some to delay having kids or buying a home.
An earlier BI analysis on a state level found that states like New York and California had the lowest percentages of residents in the middle class at under 45%, meaning that more residents were either upper or lower class. California's statewide cutoffs were $61,034 to $183,102, while New York's were $53,038 to $159,114.
Do you feel middle class? Did you move to another state where you could feel more financially secure? Tell this reporter why or why not at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.