If you consider yourself middle-class but don’t feel as wealthy as you thought you would when you reached that status, you’re not alone.
For one thing, the range between the upper and lower boundaries of the middle class is fairly steep. In every U.S. state, the upper limit exceeds $100,000. As always, the cost of living in your state can affect what kind of lifestyle you can afford as a member of the middle class.
A new analysis published by SmartAsset relies on Pew Research’s definition of being middle class: a household with two-thirds to double the median household income. By that standard, you can be middle-class in Massachusetts with an income ranging from $66,565 to $199,716 – an upper limit of $11,000 higher than in the previous report. The state’s median income is $99,858. This year, Massachusetts overtook New Jersey as the priciest state for middle-class living.
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The differences within regions can be stark. For example, in the Northeast, middle-class incomes in Maine range from $49,150 to $147,466, with a median household income of $73,733 – virtually identical to the range in Pennsylvania. In New Jersey, the lower boundary is $66,514, and the upper is $199,562 (median $99,781). In New Hampshire, the fourth-ranked state in the nation, it is $64,552 to $193,676 (median $96,838), and in New York, the equivalent range is $54,725 to $164,190 (median $82,095).
In the Midwest, you would be considered middle-class in Minnesota with an income ranging from $56,718 to $170,172, in Illinois from $53,532 to $160,612, in Wisconsin from $49,749 to $149,262, in Michigan from $46,117 to $138,366, and in Ohio from $45,175 to $135,538.
Maryland heads the list of Mid-Atlantic states and ranks third nationally by wealth. Being middle-income means having earnings between $65,779 to $197,356 (median $98,678). In Virginia, which ranks 10th nationally, the equivalent is $59,948 to $179,862 (median $89,931), and in Delaware, $54,235 to $162,722 (median $81,361). By contrast, the range for the middle class in West Virginia, the nation’s second poorest state, is $37,295 to $111,896, and the median is $55,948.
In the South, being middle-class can apply to a wide range. In Texas, the state with the highest range, incomes vary from $50,515 to $151,560 (median $75,780). Georgia is not far behind, ranging from $49,750 to $149,264 (median $74,632). It is followed by Florida, where the range is $48,869 to $146,622 (median $73,311), and North Carolina with $47,198 to $141,608 (median $70,804). However, the South also contains some of the nation’s poorest states, such as Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisiana. In Mississippi, the poorest of them all, holds an income range of between $36,132 to $108,406 (median $54,203).
Unsurprisingly, it takes more money to be considered middle-class in some Western states. In California, the range would be from $63,674 to $191,042 (median $95,521), virtually identical to Hawaii, and in Washington, from $63,542 to $189,210 (median $94,605). These states rank five, six and seven by wealth. Of the Western states, New Mexico had the lowest requirements for middle-class standing, from $41,508 to $124,536 (median $62,268).
Based on the highest incomes needed by households to maintain a middle-class standing in urban settings, SmartAsset found 12 of the top 15 cities to be in Western states. The exceptions were all on the East Coast: Arlington, VA, which ranked highest nationally at $280,438; Washington, DC ($216,420) and Boston ($193,862).
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