How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Every State?

Nicole Spector

27 May 2024 at 7:00 pm·8-min read

How much money do you really need to have to be considered middle class? It might take more money than you think to reach this income tier. The Pew Research Center defines middle-class, or middle-income households, as those with incomes that are two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income.

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However, because the cost of living and average income vary so widely from state to state, the income needed to be “middle class” in one state could be much more or less than what it takes to be middle class in another. Using Pew’s definition of the middle class, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the 2022 American Community Survey as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, then found the middle-class income for every state.

Let’s dig right in:

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Alabama

Median household income: $59,609
Lowest end of middle class income: $39,739
Highest end of middle class income: $119,218

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Alaska

Median household income: $86,370
Lowest end of middle class income: $57,579
Highest end of middle class income: $172,740

Arizona

Median household income: $72,581
Lowest end of middle class income: $48,387
Highest end of middle class income: $145,162

Arkansas

Median household income: $56,335
Lowest end of middle class income: $37,556
Highest end of middle class income: $112,670

California

Median household income: $91,905
Lowest end of middle class income: $61,269
Highest end of middle class income: $183,810

Colorado

Median household income: $87,598
Lowest end of middle class income: $58,398
Highest end of middle class income: $175,196

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Connecticut

Median household income: $90,213
Lowest end of middle class income: $60,141
Highest end of middle class income: $180,426

Delaware

Median household income: $79,325
Lowest end of middle class income: $52,883
Highest end of middle class income: $158,650

Florida

Median household income: $67,917
Lowest end of middle class income: $45,278
Highest end of middle class income: $135,834

Georgia

Median household income: $71,355
Lowest end of middle class income: $47,570
Highest end of middle class income: $142,710

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Hawaii

Median household income: $94,814
Lowest end of middle class income: $63,209
Highest end of middle class income: $189,628

Idaho

Median household income: $70,214
Lowest end of middle class income: $46,809
Highest end of middle class income: $140,428

Illinois

Median household income: $78,433
Lowest end of middle class income: $52,288
Highest end of middle class income: $156,866

Indiana

Median household income: $67,173
Lowest end of middle class income: $44,782
Highest end of middle class income: $134,346

Iowa

Median household income: $70,571
Lowest end of middle class income: $47,047
Highest end of middle class income:$141,142

Kansas

Median household income: $69,747
Lowest end of middle class income: $46,498
Highest end of middle class income: $139,494

Kentucky

Median household income: $60,183
Lowest end of middle class income: $40,122
Highest end of middle class income: $120,366

Louisiana

Median household income: $57,852
Lowest end of middle class income: $38,568
Highest end of middle class income: $115,704

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Maine

Median household income: $68,251
Lowest end of middle class income: $45,500
Highest end of middle class income: $136,502

Maryland

Median household income: $98,461
Lowest end of middle class income: $65,640
Highest end of middle class income: $196,922

Massachusetts

Median household income: $96,505
Lowest end of middle class income: $64,336
Highest end of middle class income: $193,010

Michigan

Median household income: $68,505
Lowest end of middle class income: $45,670
Highest end of middle class income: $137,010

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Minnesota

Median household income: $84,313
Lowest end of middle class income: $56,208
Highest end of middle class income: $168,626

Mississippi

Median household income: $52,985
Lowest end of middle class income: $35,323
Highest end of middle class income: $105,970

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Missouri

Median household income: $65,920
Lowest end of middle class income: $43,946
Highest end of middle class income: $131,840

Montana

Median household income: $66,341
Lowest end of middle class income: $44,227
Highest end of middle class income: $132,682

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Nebraska

Median household income: $71,722
Lowest end of middle class income: $47,814
Highest end of middle class income: $143,444

Nevada

Median household income: $71,646
Lowest end of middle class income: $47,764
Highest end of middle class income: $143,292

New Hampshire

Median household income: $90,845
Lowest end of middle class income: $60,563
Highest end of middle class income: $181,690

New Jersey

Median household income: $97,126
Lowest end of middle class income: $64,750
Highest end of middle class income: $194,252

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New Mexico

Median household income: $58,722
Lowest end of middle class income: $39,148
Highest end of middle class income: $117,444

New York

Median household income: $81,386
Lowest end of middle class income: $54,257
Highest end of middle class income: $162,772

North Carolina

Median household income: $66,186
Lowest end of middle class income: $44,124
Highest end of middle class income: $132,372

North Dakota

Median household income: $73,959
Lowest end of middle class income: $49,306
Highest end of middle class income: $147,918

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Ohio

Median household income: $66,990
Lowest end of middle class income: $44,660
Highest end of middle class income: $133,980

Oklahoma

Median household income: $61,364
Lowest end of middle class income: $40,909
Highest end of middle class income: $122,728

Oregon

Median household income: $76,632
Lowest end of middle class income: $51,087
Highest end of middle class income: $153,264

Pennsylvania

Median household income: $73,170
Lowest end of middle class income: $48,780
Highest end of middle class income: $146,340

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Rhode Island

Median household income: $81,370
Lowest end of middle class income: $54,246
Highest end of middle class income: $162,740

South Carolina

Median household income: $63,623
Lowest end of middle class income: $42,415
Highest end of middle class income: $127,246

South Dakota

Median household income: $69,457
Lowest end of middle class income: $46,304
Highest end of middle class income: $138,914

Tennessee

Median household income: $64,035
Lowest end of middle class income: $42,690
Highest end of middle class income: $128,070

Texas

Median household income: $73,035
Lowest end of middle class income: $48,690
Highest end of middle class income: $146,070

Utah

Median household income: $86,833
Lowest end of middle class income: $57,888
Highest end of middle class income: $173,666

Vermont

Median household income: $74,014
Lowest end of middle class income: $49,342
Highest end of middle class income: $148,028

Virginia

Median household income: $87,249
Lowest end of middle class income: $58,165
Highest end of middle class income: $174,498

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Washington

Median household income: $90,325
Lowest end of middle class income: $60,216
Highest end of middle class income: $180,650

West Virginia

Median household income: $55,217
Lowest end of middle class income: $36,811
Highest end of middle class income: $110,434

Wisconsin

Median household income: $72,458
Lowest end of middle class income: $48,305
Highest end of middle class income: $144,916

Wyoming

Median household income: $72,495
Lowest end of middle class income: $48,330
Highest end of middle class income: $144,990

Cynthia Measom and Gabrielle Olya contributed to the reporting of this article.

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates found every state’s median household income as sourced from the 2022 American Community Survey as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Then, by following the Pew Research Center’s definition of middle-class income — “two-thirds to double the income of an area” — we found the middle-class income for every state. All data was collected and is up to date as of May 23, 2024.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Every State?

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