This is considered middle class income in California, study shows (2024)

LOS ANGELES - Everything is expensive nowadays. Just think back to maybe five years ago - how much were you paying for a carton of eggs? Gone are those days.

Over the last decade, the household income needed to be considered middle class has skyrocketed.

In 2012, a household income of $35,364 qualified you as a member of the middle class in the U.S.; in 2022, $50,099 was the lowest minimum household income threshold, GOBankingrates reports.

But keep in mind the income requirements are different in every state, according to the financial website's latest study.

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In California, the middle class income range for 2022 was $61,270 to $183,810. Compare that to the average in 2012, which was $40,933 to $122,800. That's a 10-year change of 49.68%.

Those figures pushed California to #4 on the list ranking U.S. states where the middle class income has increased.

In Oregon, the household income needed to be middle class has increased by 53.15% from 2012 to 2022 — the biggest increase of any state.

Washington ranked second (52.13%), followed by Colorado (50.40%), then California, and Idaho (49.34%) rounding out the top five.

According to the study, Mississippi has the lowest household income needed to be middle class. As of 2022, a $35,323 salary is considered middle class in the state.

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On the other end of the spectrum, Maryland has the highest household income needed to be middle class. As of 2022, $65,641 is the lowest household income that qualifies you to be considered middle class in the state.

To find the household income needed to be middle class in each state, GOBankingrates defined "middle class" as those with an annual household income that is two-thirds to double the median income.

To see the full study, tap or click here.

This is considered middle class income in California, study shows (2024)

FAQs

This is considered middle class income in California, study shows? ›

In California, the middle-class household income ranges between $61,270 to $183,810, a nearly 50% increase from where it stood in 2012 when it was $40,933 to $122,800. The Golden State had the fourth-highest income increase needed to be considered middle class.

What is considered middle class income in California? ›

LOS ANGELES - Are you considered "middle class" by California standards? A study by Consumer Affairs has tabulated the minimum annual income require for a family of four to be considered middle class in each state, and in California, that income is $69,064.

What is the middle class in California in 2024? ›

Middle Class Income Ranges in U.S. States
RankStateLower bound on middle class income
2Maryland$63,321
3Massachusetts$62,986
4Hawaii$61,633
5California$61,028
11 more rows
Apr 24, 2024

What is statistically considered a middle class income? ›

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.

What is the middle class today? ›

One commonly used definition from the Pew Research Center sets a middle-class income between two-thirds and twice the national median income, or $67,819 to $203,458 for a family of four in 2022. Most Americans consider the lower end of that range, $75,000 and $100,000, to be middle class, according to the Post poll.

What salary do you need to be middle class? ›

In California, the middle class income range for 2022 was $61,270 to $183,810. Compare that to the average in 2012, which was $40,933 to $122,800. That's a 10-year change of 49.68%. Those figures pushed California to #4 on the list ranking U.S. states where the middle class income has increased.

What income is considered poor in California? ›

2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines
​Persons in Family Household​Poverty Guideline​MAGI Household Income <500% FPL
​1$15,060​$75,300
​2​$20,440​$102,200
​3​$25,820​$129,100
​4$​31,200$156,000
4 more rows
Mar 29, 2024

What is upper class income in California? ›

Upper Class Salary in California
Annual SalaryMonthly Pay
Top Earners$84,213$7,017
75th Percentile$66,587$5,548
Average$58,538$4,878
25th Percentile$38,189$3,182

What income is upper class? ›

10 states with the highest upper class cutoffs
StateUpper class cutoffShare
California$183,10219.6%
Washington$182,61218.1%
New Hampshire$179,98417.6%
Colorado$178,60417.2%
6 more rows
May 24, 2024

What is the salary for upper class in 2024? ›

As of Jun 20, 2024, the average annual pay for the Upper Class jobs category in the United States is $59,699 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.70 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,148/week or $4,974/month.

Is $30000 a year considered middle class? ›

If you earn this much, you're in the middle class

According to the Census data, here's how household income breaks down in the United States: Households in the lowest quintile: $30,000 or less. Households in the second quintile: $30,001 to $58,020. Households in the third quintile: $58,021 to $94,000.

Are doctors upper middle class? ›

The lower middle class is often made up of less educated people with lower incomes, such as managers, small business owners, teachers, and secretaries. The upper middle class is often made up of highly educated business and professional people with high incomes, such as doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers, and CEOs.

What income is considered wealthy? ›

Based on that figure, an annual income of $500,000 or more would make you rich. The Economic Policy Institute uses a different baseline to determine who constitutes the top 1% and the top 5%. For 2021, you're in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year.

What's considered middle class in 2024? ›

In 2024, a large U.S. city's middle-class income averages between $52,000 and $155,000, with the median household income across all 345 cities at $77,345, making middle-class income limits fall between $51,558 and $154,590, SmartAsset noted.

Who are the new middle class? ›

The 'new middle class' in India refers to the socio-economic group that emerged in the post-liberalization era of the 1990s, characterized by rapid economic growth, globalization, and the rise of the service sector.

What is considered middle class in California for a single person? ›

Are you 'middle class' in your state?
StateStateLower end
CaliforniaCA$61,028
WashingtonWA$60,865
New HampshireNH$59,989
ColoradoCO$59,529
6 more rows
Apr 24, 2024

What is a livable salary in California? ›

The most expensive and least expensive states vary by more than $66,000. In Hawaii, you need to earn $112,411 to have what GoBankingRates considers a living wage. In Mississippi, you need $45,906. In California, you need to earn $80,013, the study states.

What counts as upper middle class income? ›

Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range. "The upper middle class has grown...and its composition has changed.

What is the net income of $75000 in California? ›

If you make $75,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $19,714. That means that your net pay will be $55,286 per year, or $4,607 per month.

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