Yahoo Finance How Easy Is It To Go From Middle Class to Upper Class in Every State?
The term “class,” first widely used in the 19th century, is still used to characterize individuals occupying the same tier on the personal finance ladder. Today, social classes are divided into three major groups: working (or lower) class, middle class and upper class.
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In a 2022 survey conducted by Gallup, about half of Americans identified as middle class, 38% as middle class, and 14% as upper middle class, but only 2% identified as upper class. Income plays the largest role in determining class structure; however, the amount of money needed to ascend into a new class can be tricky to nail down.
Here are the general economic boundaries for each class:
Lower class: The bottom 20% of earners with household incomes not exceeding $28,007
Lower middle class: Those making between $28,008 and $55,000
Middle class: Those ranging from $55,001 to $89,744
Upper middle class: Households with incomes between $89,745 and $149,131
Upper class: The top 20% of earners, with household incomes of $149,132 or more
While there’s no formula for how ambitious, middle-income Americans increase their social mobility, some states are better than others for enabling the move from middle to upper class.
GOBankingRates studied changes in income across every state over a recent five-year period. Utah was the easiest state to move from middle to upper class, and Alaska was the hardest.
1. Utah
2022 median household income: $86,833
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 32.9%
Upper-class households: 96.3%
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2. Idaho
2022 median household income: $70,214
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 37.7%
Upper-class households: 108.7%
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3. Washington
2022 median household income: $90,325
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 36.5%
Upper-class households: 81.9%
4. Oregon
2022 median household income: $76,632
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 31.6%
Upper-class households: 96%
5. Colorado
2022 median household income: $87,598
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 33.8%
Upper-class households: 75.2%
6. Nevada
2022 median household income: $71,646
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 29.3%
Upper-class households: 92%
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7. South Dakota
2022 median household income: $69,457
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28.3%
Upper-class households: 85.3%
8. New Hampshire
2022 median household income: $90,845
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 27.4%
Upper-class households: 67.3%
9. Arizona
2022 median household income: $72,581
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 35.6%
Upper-class households: 84.2%
10. Minnesota
2022 median household income: $84,313
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28.3%
Upper-class households: 70.2%
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11. Rhode Island
2022 median household income: $81,370
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 33.3%
Upper-class households: 67.7%
12. Vermont
2022 median household income: $74,014
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28%
Upper-class households: 89.2%
13. Georgia
2022 median household income: $71,355
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 34.7%
Upper-class households: 79.2%
14. Montana
2022 median household income: $66,341
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 30.6%
Upper-class households: 89.3%
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15. South Carolina
2022 median household income: $63,623
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 30.4%
Upper-class households: 90.7%
16. Maine
2022 median household income: $68,251
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28.7%
Upper-class households: 94.9%
17. Wisconsin
2022 median household income: $72,458
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 27.7%
Upper-class households: 83.7%
18. Nebraska
2022 median household income: $71,722
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 26.6%
Upper-class households: 80.7%
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19. Indiana
2022 median household income: $67,173
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28.7%
Upper-class households: 87.8%
20. Alabama
2022 median household income: $59,609
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28.3%
Upper-class households: 83.3%
21. Wyoming
2022 median household income: $72,459
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 19%
Upper-class households: 80.7%
22. Florida
2022 median household income: $67,917
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 33.5%
Upper-class households: 78.3%
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23. North Carolina
2022 median household income: $66,186
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 31.5%
Upper-class households: 80.5%
24. Michigan
2022 median household income: $68,505
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 30%
Upper-class households: 77.8%
25. Tennessee
2022 median household income: $64,035
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 31.5%
Upper-class households: 79.5%
26. Delaware
2022 median household income: $79,325
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 25.8%
Upper-class households: 58.6%
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27. West Virginia
2022 median household income: $54,217
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 25.3%
Upper-class households: 83.9%
28. Pennsylvania
2022 median household income: $73,170
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28.5%
Upper-class households: 71.6%
29. Kansas
2022 median household income: $69,747
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 25.7%
Upper-class households: 74.7%
30. Iowa
2022 median household income: $70,571
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 24.8%
Upper-class households: 77.1%
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31. Kentucky
2022 median household income: $60,183
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 29.3%
Upper-class households: 83.6%
32. California
2022 median household income: $91,905
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 36.8%
Upper-class households: 63.4%
33. Arkansas
2022 median household income: $56,355
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28.6%
Upper-class households: 86.7%
34. Ohio
2022 median household income: $66,990
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 27.8%
Upper-class households: 76.5%
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35. Missouri
2022 median household income: $65,920
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 27.9%
Upper-class households: 76.8%
36. New Mexico
2022 median household income: $58,722
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 25.7%
Upper-class households: 71.6%
37. Mississippi
2022 median household income: $52,985
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 26.1%
Upper-class households: 88.9%
38. Texas
2022 median household income: $73,035
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28%
Upper-class households: 60.8%
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39. Illinois
2022 median household income: $78,433
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 28.1%
Upper-class households: 60.4%
40. Maryland
2022 median household income: $98,461
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 24.8%
Upper-class households: 47.1%
41. Virginia
2022 median household income: $87,249
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 26.9%
Upper-class households: 52.9%
42. North Dakota
2022 median household income: $73,959
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 20.7%
Upper-class households: 58.5%
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43. Oklahoma
2022 median household income: $61,364
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 23.3%
Upper-class households: 69.3%
44. Massachusetts
2022 median household income: $96,505
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 30.1%
Upper-class households: 56.1%
45. New Jersey
2022 median household income: $97,126
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 27%
Upper-class households: 44.8%
46. Hawaii
2022 median household income: $94,814
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 26.6%
Upper-class households: 62.4%
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47. New York
2022 median household income: $81,386
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 29.7%
Upper-class households: 54.7%
48. Connecticut
2022 median household income: $90,213
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 22.3%
Upper-class households: 41.8%
49. Louisiana
2022 median household income: $57,852
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 23.9%
Upper-class households: 61.9%
50. Alaska
2022 median household income: $86,370
Five-year change in:
Median household income: 13.5%
Upper-class households: 41.2%
Nicole Spector contributed to the reporting of this article.
Methodology: In order to find the states where it is easiest to go from “middle class” to “upper class,” GOBankingRates found each state’s (1) 2022 Median Household income, as well as the (2) year-over year change and the (3) 5-year percentage change in median household income. GOBankingRates then found the (4) 2022 percent of households with incomes $100,000 – $149,000, the (5) year-over year change and the (6) 5-year percentage change in the percent of households with incomes of $100,000 – $149,000, the (7) 2022 percent of households with incomes of $150,000 – $199,999, the (8) year-over-year change and the (9) 5-year percentage change in the percent of households with incomes of $150,000 – $199,999, as well as the (10) 2022 percent of households with incomes of $200,000+, and the (11) year-over year change and the (12) 5-year percentage change in the percent of households with incomes of $200,000+ all sourced from the 2017, 2021 and 2022 American Community Surveys that are conducted by the U.S Census Bureau. GOBankingRates also found each state’s (13) annual expenditures which were calculated using the 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, which was then factored out using the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s composite cost of living index for each state from the 2023 averages. These 13 factors were then scored and combined with the lowest score being the best. Factors 1 through 3 were weighted 0.5 times and factor 13 holds 1.5 times weight. All data was gathered and is up to date as of June 24, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Easy Is It To Go From Middle Class to Upper Class in Every State?
