There are three different definitions here. I would assume none of us are in the middle class using the Urban Institute’s definition (150% - 500% federal poverty level), but the other two definitions are location-dependent:
Pew defines “middle class” as a person earning between two-thirds and twice the median American household income, which in 2019 was $68,703, according to the United States Census Bureau. That puts the base salary to be in the middle class just shy of $46,000. The Brookings Institute, meanwhile, considers anyone who falls within the middle three quintiles of income distribution to be middle class.
As I’m in the NYC metro area, for my 5-person household, I would need to have a household income of $250K to get out of the middle class. Jeez.
We are above middle class by all 3 definitions. Helps to live in the Po (sort of) and be married to be married to someone making significantly more than me.
Our location-specific ranges were higher than the national average ranges, so maybe less Po than I’ve suggested. Po by actuary standards, which is different from normal standards.
That said, seeing as how they only allow you to select from large-ish MSAs, someone truly in the Po wouldn’t be able to get an accurate range from the link.
I just last week finally got promoted to a salary above my wife’s for the first time in our marriage (17 years). We are not middle class. This was quite unfortunate when stimulus checks kept getting mailed last year and my friends wanted me to waste non-budgeted money with them on new golf clubs. Like I didn’t get that check brother (humble brag, humble brag). At least I will not be impacted by the Biden tax hikes LOL!
