What Constitutes a Middle Class Income?

The middle class is by far the most talked-about socioeconomic group in America, but few can provide a specific definition of what a middle class income actually is. When politicians pledge to "grow the middle class" or promise "tax breaks for the middle class," are they referring to the family living paycheck to paycheck, hoping to have a few dollars left over at the end of the month for their kid's college fund, or are they talking about the comfortable-but-not-wealthy families that fill up the omnipresent McMansions dotting the suburban American landscape?

Even though not many people can define the middle class, there is actually a cut-and-dry definition. This guide explains what middle class means and reveals what it takes to be middle class in different parts of the country. It also evaluates the share of the overall population that the middle class comprises and how that number has changed over the years.

What Is the Definition of a Middle Class Income?

The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank that studies social issues and demographic trends, defines a middle class income as one that falls between two-thirds and double the median income for a particular household size.

Incomes more than double the median are considered upper class, and incomes that are less than two-thirds the median but above the poverty line are considered working class.

So, if the median household annual income for a family of four in a particular metropolitan area is $75,000, then a family of four with an annual household income between $50,000 and $150,000 would be considered middle class.

This range is broad, which cuts against the idea of the middle class being a monolith, a concept made popular by politicians who use simplistic terms to define the group. The issues that affect middle class individuals and families at the bottom of the income range are often not the same ones affecting those at the top.

What Percentage of U.S. Households Are Middle Class?

A Pew Research Center survey found that 52% of American households fall into the middle class. This number is slightly higher but mostly unchanged from 2011, when 51% of American households were middle class. Since the early 1970s, however, the middle class has shrunk significantly. In 1971, the first year Pew conducted this survey, 61% of American households were considered middle class.

This begs the question of where the middle class has gone. As it slowly erodes, which economic class — the upper class or working class — is picking up those who are falling out of the middle class? Comparing the Pew surveys from 1971 and 2016, losses in the middle class appear to be accruing equally to the upper and working classes. As the middle class shrunk by 9%, the upper class has added 5% and the lower class gained 4%.

How Does the Definition of Middle Class Vary From State to State?

Median household incomes vary from state to state. Therefore, so does the definition of a middle class income. In wealthier states with higher median incomes, it takes more money to be considered middle class. In poorer areas of the country, it takes less.

It's also worth considering that middle class means different things to different people. Most people don't go by — and aren't even aware of — the Pew definition. So, the relative affluence of an area can affect what people perceive to be middle class. Consider also that it's human nature to view others who live the way you live as "normal." In areas with lots of affluence, such as Beverly Hills or Silicon Valley, families living in opulent homes and driving luxury vehicles might be viewed by their neighbors as middle class simply because that kind of lifestyle is the norm for the area.

Middle Class Income Ranges by Region

In some regions of the country, the middle class is dominant, comprising as much as two-thirds of the population. In others, it makes up less than half. Pew found that the areas with the highest share of middle class households were concentrated mostly in the Midwest. The West Coast, Northeast, Southwest and Southeast regions have lower percentages of middle class residents, but the part of the population outside the middle class does not look the same in all of those regions. The West Coast and Northeast regions have much higher shares of upper-class residents while the Southwest and Southeast have larger working-class populations.

Here are the U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest share of middle class households:

The areas with the lowest share of middle class households are as follows:

What Does It Mean to Be Middle Class in America?

To some, being middle class means being able to get by on your own without assistance, but to others, middle class means having enough to get by but not much left over. One person might define middle class as living comfortably but not extravagantly; someone else might classify it simply as not being rich but not being poor.

Perhaps it's the fact that middle class covers such a broad income spectrum that the concept can mean so many different things to different people. The one thing certain about the middle class is that it is too vast to be represented by a single composite.