Personal finance

The salary you need to be considered middle class in every US state

Massachusetts has the highest threshold for middle-class salaries, overtaking New Jersey from last year's rankings.

[CNBC] The salary you need to be considered middle class in every U.S. state
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[CNBC] The salary you need to be considered middle class in every U.S. state

A six-figure household income doesn't necessarily make you rich — in many cases, it just means you're middle class.

The upper bound of what's considered middle class for households exceeds $100,000 in every U.S. state, according to a SmartAsset analysis of 2023 income data, the most recent available from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report, which crunched the numbers for all 50 states, is based on Pew Research's definition of middle class: two-thirds to double the median household income.

On that measure, Massachusetts has the highest threshold for middle-class salaries, overtaking New Jersey from last year's rankings. A household there needs between $66,565 and $199,716 to be considered middle class, with the upper boundary increasing by nearly $11,000 from the previous report.

A six-figure income doesn't go as far as it used to

Even as more households earn six-figure salaries, many middle-class earners are feeling the squeeze. While inflation-adjusted wages have risen since 2022, those gains have been largely offset by increasing costs since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Housing and food, in particular, have become more expensive. From January 2020 to December 2024, home prices climbed 52%, according to the Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, while food prices rose 30%, based on Consumer Price Index data. Over the same period, overall inflation grew 25%.

Rising costs help explain why two-thirds of middle-class Americans said they were struggling financially and didn't expect their situation to improve in a 2024 survey from the National True Cost of Living Coalition.

Since then, year-over-year inflation has hovered around 3%, still above the Federal Reserve's 2% target but far below its June 2022 peak of 9.1%. But although price increases have slowed, the cumulative effect of the past few years has eroded many Americans' spending power. As a result, a six-figure income may not stretch as far as it once did.

Below, see what's considered middle class in your state.

Alabama

  • Low end of middle class: $41,471 
  • High end of middle class: $124,424 
  • Median household income: $62,212 

Alaska

  • Low end of middle class: $57,748 
  • High end of middle class: $173,262 
  • Median household income: $86,631 

Arizona

  • Low end of middle class: $51,538 
  • High end of middle class: $154,630 
  • Median household income: $77,315 

Arkansas

  • Low end of middle class: $39,129 
  • High end of middle class: $117,400 
  • Median household income: $58,700 

California

  • Low end of middle class: $63,674 
  • High end of middle class: $191,042 
  • Median household income: $95,521 

Colorado

  • Low end of middle class: $61,934 
  • High end of middle class: $185,822 
  • Median household income: $92,911 

Connecticut

  • Low end of middle class: $61,104
  • High end of middle class: $183,330 
  • Median household income: $91,665 

Delaware

  • Low end of middle class: $54,235 
  • High end of middle class: $162,722 
  • Median household income: $81,361 

Florida

  • Low end of middle class: $48,869 
  • High end of middle class: $146,622 
  • Median household income: $73,311 

Georgia

  • Low end of middle class: $49,750 
  • High end of middle class: $149,264 
  • Median household income: $74,632 

Hawaii

  • Low end of middle class: $63,542 
  • High end of middle class: $190,644 
  • Median household income: $95,322 

Idaho

  • Low end of middle class: $49,956 
  • High end of middle class: $149,884 
  • Median household income: $74,942 

Illinois

  • Low end of middle class: $53,532 
  • High end of middle class: $160,612 
  • Median household income: $80,306 

Indiana

  • Low end of middle class: $46,313 
  • High end of middle class: $138,954 
  • Median household income: $69,477 

Iowa

  • Low end of middle class: $47,617 
  • High end of middle class: $142,866 
  • Median household income: $71,433 

Kansas

  • Low end of middle class: $46,884
  • High end of middle class: $140,666
  • Median household income: $70,333

Kentucky

  • Low end of middle class: $40,741
  • High end of middle class: $122,236
  • Median household income: $61,118 

Louisiana

  • Low end of middle class: $38,815
  • High end of middle class: $116,458
  • Median household income: $58,229 

Maine

  • Low end of middle class: $49,150
  • High end of middle class: $147,466
  • Median household income: $73,733

Maryland

  • Low end of middle class: $65,779
  • High end of middle class: $197,356
  • Median household income: $98,678 

Massachusetts

  • Low end of middle class: $66,565
  • High end of middle class: $199,716 
  • Median household income: $99,858 

Michigan

  • Low end of middle class: $46,117
  • High end of middle class: $138,366
  • Median household income: $69,183 

Minnesota

  • Low end of middle class: $56,718
  • High end of middle class: $170,172
  • Median household income: $85,086 

Mississippi

  • Low end of middle class: $36,132
  • High end of middle class: $108,406
  • Median household income: $54,203 

Missouri

  • Low end of middle class: $45,692
  • High end of middle class: $137,090
  • Median household income: $68,545 

Montana

  • Low end of middle class: $47,198
  • High end of middle class: $141,608
  • Median household income: $70,804

Nebraska

  • Low end of middle class: $49,722
  • High end of middle class: $149,180 
  • Median household income: $74,590 

Nevada

  • Low end of middle class: $50,904
  • High end of middle class: $152,728 
  • Median household income: $76,364 

New Hampshire

  • Low end of middle class: $64,552
  • High end of middle class: $193,676 
  • Median household income: $96,838 

New Jersey

  • Low end of middle class: $66,514
  • High end of middle class: $199,562
  • Median household income: $99,781 

New Mexico

  • Low end of middle class: $41,508
  • High end of middle class: $124,536
  • Median household income: $62,268 

New York

  • Low end of middle class: $54,725
  • High end of middle class: $164,190 
  • Median household income: $82,095 

North Carolina

  • Low end of middle class: $47,198
  • High end of middle class: $141,608
  • Median household income: $70,804

North Dakota

  • Low end of middle class: $51,012
  • High end of middle class: $153,050 
  • Median household income: $76,525 

Ohio

  • Low end of middle class: $45,175
  • High end of middle class: $135,538
  • Median household income: $67,769

Oklahoma

  • Low end of middle class: $41,421
  • High end of middle class: $124,276
  • Median household income: $62,138

Oregon

  • Low end of middle class: $53,435
  • High end of middle class: $160,320
  • Median household income: $80,160

Pennsylvania

  • Low end of middle class: $49,211
  • High end of middle class: $147,648
  • Median household income: $73,824

Rhode Island

  • Low end of middle class: $56,642
  • High end of middle class: $169,944
  • Median household income: $84,972

South Carolina

  • Low end of middle class: $45,198
  • High end of middle class: $135,608
  • Median household income: $67,804

South Dakota

  • Low end of middle class: $47,869
  • High end of middle class: $143,620
  • Median household income: $71,810

Tennessee

  • Low end of middle class: $45,083
  • High end of middle class: $135,262
  • Median household income: $67,631

Texas

  • Low end of middle class: $50,515
  • High end of middle class: $151,560
  • Median household income: $75,780

Utah

  • Low end of middle class: $62,274
  • High end of middle class: $186,842
  • Median household income: $93,421

Vermont

  • Low end of middle class: $54,135
  • High end of middle class: $162,422
  • Median household income: $81,211

Virginia

  • Low end of middle class: $59,948
  • High end of middle class: $179,862
  • Median household income: $89,931

Washington

  • Low end of middle class: $63,064
  • High end of middle class: $189,210
  • Median household income: $94,605

West Virginia

  • Low end of middle class: $37,295
  • High end of middle class: $111,896
  • Median household income: $55,948

Wisconsin

  • Low end of middle class: $49,749
  • High end of middle class: $149,262
  • Median household income: $74,631

Wyoming

  • Low end of middle class: $48,272
  • High end of middle class: $144,830
  • Median household income: $72,415

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