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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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