15 cities where a $100K income is 'lower-middle class' (2024)

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15 cities where a $100K income is 'lower-middle class'? ›

A $100,000 salary may be considered middle-income in many parts of the U.S., but it's no longer a ticket to the middle class.

A $100,000 salary may be considered middle-income in many parts of the U.S., but it's no longer a ticket to the middle class.

My first feature for MarketWatch is about a puzzling disconnect that impacts so many Americans: A $100,000 salary no longer buys a middle-class lifestyle, even if it's middle-income. Basic needs for a family of 4 alone cost $100k in the US. Here's why it costs so much more to have a middle-class standard of living now.

Nationally, Maryland has the highest ceiling for its definition of the middle class, while Mississippi has the lowest floor.

Based on that number, if you earn between $50,000 and $150,000 a year, you qualify as middle class. Around half of Americans fall into the middle-class category as of 2021, according to the Pew Research Center, but the numbers have been shrinking over time, down from 61% in 1971.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only about 6% of Americans earn an annual salary of $100,000 or more. That amounts to around 8 million households crossing into 6-figure territory.

More than half (52%) of Americans say they would need at least $100,000 a year to feel financially comfortable, with 26% saying they would need a salary in the range of $100,000 to $149,000 per year, according to a 2023 CNBC Your Money survey conducted by SurveyMonkey.

One common way to classify the upper middle class is based on income. The upper middle class is often defined as the top 15% to 20% of earners. According to the Social Security Administration's 2022 wage data, the average upper-middle-class income was roughly between $80,000 and $100,000.

In a large U.S. city, a middle-class income averages between $52,000 and $155,000. The median household income across all 345 cities is $77,345, making middle-class income limits fall between $51,558 and $154,590.

What are the five income classes? ›

Semi-professionals and craftsmen with a roughly average standard of living. Most have some college education and are white-collar. Semi-professionals and craftsmen with some work autonomy; household incomes commonly range from $35,000 to $75,000. Typically, some college education.

Lower class: This is defined as the bottom 20% of earners. Those in the lower class have an income at or below $28,007. Lower middle class: This is defined as individuals in the 20th to 40th percentile of household income. Earnings among this group are between $28,008 and $55,000.

The Pew Research Center defines the middle class as households that earn between two-thirds and double the median U.S. household income, which was $65,000 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 21 Using Pew's yardstick, middle income is made up of people who make between $43,350 and $130,000.

The personal finance site defines “middle class” as households with an annual income that is two-thirds to double a state's median income. In two states — Maryland and New Jersey — the high end of the middle-class income range edges close to $200,000.

Where you rank by income. According to the Census Bureau's Income in the United States: 2022 report, the median household income is $74,580 (a 2.3% decline from 2021), while household income levels for each class level are as follows: Lower class: less than or equal to $30,000. Lower-middle class: $30,001 – $58,020.

Only 18% of individual Americans make more than $100,000 a year, according to 2023 data from careers website Zippia. About 34% of U.S. households earn more than $100,000 a year, according to Zippia.

In 2021, the median household income is roughly $68,000. An upper class income is usually considered at least 50% higher than the median household income. Therefore, an upper class income in America is $100,000 and higher.

As of 2022 (the most recent Census data), the average median household income in the U.S. was $73,914, meaning the national range for the middle class is roughly $49,271 to $147,828. Across the nation's largest cities, the range is between $51,558 and $154,590, according to SmartAsset.