How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Every State?

What is considered middle class? It might take more money than you think to reach this income tier. The Pew Research Center defines middle-class, or middle-income households, as those with incomes that are two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income.

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However, because the cost of living and average income vary so widely from state to state, the income needed to be “middle class” in one state could be much more or less than what it takes to be middle class in another. Using Pew’s definition of middle class, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the 2022 American Community Survey as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, then found the middle-class income for every state.

Alabama

• Median household income: $59,609
• Lowest end of middle class income: $39,739
• Highest end of middle class income: $119,218

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Alaska

• Median household income: $86,370
• Lowest end of middle class income: $57,579
• Highest end of middle class income: $172,740

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Arizona

• Median household income: $72,581
• Lowest end of middle class income: $48,387
• Highest end of middle class income: $145,162

Arkansas

• Median household income: $56,335
• Lowest end of middle class income: $37,556
• Highest end of middle class income: $112,670

California

• Median household income: $91,905
• Lowest end of middle class income: $61,269
• Highest end of middle class income: $183,810

Colorado

• Median household income: $87,598
• Lowest end of middle class income: $58,398
• Highest end of middle class income: $175,196

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Connecticut

• Median household income: $90,213
• Lowest end of middle class income: $60,141
• Highest end of middle class income: $180,426

Delaware

• Median household income: $79,325
• Lowest end of middle class income: $52,883
• Highest end of middle class income: $158,650

Florida

• Median household income: $67,917
• Lowest end of middle class income: $45,278
• Highest end of middle class income: $135,834

Georgia

• Median household income: $71,355
• Lowest end of middle class income: $47,570
• Highest end of middle class income: $142,710

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Hawaii

• Median household income: $94,814
• Lowest end of middle class income: $63,209
• Highest end of middle class income: $189,628

Idaho

• Median household income: $70,214
• Lowest end of middle class income: $46,809
• Highest end of middle class income: $140,428

Illinois

• Median household income: $78,433
• Lowest end of middle class income: $52,288
• Highest end of middle class income: $156,866

Indiana

• Median household income: $67,173
• Lowest end of middle class income: $44,782
• Highest end of middle class income: $134,346

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Iowa

• Median household income: $70,571
• Lowest end of middle class income: $47,047
• Highest end of middle class income: $141,142

Kansas

• Median household income: $69,747
• Lowest end of middle class income: $46,498
• Highest end of middle class income: $139,494

Kentucky

• Median household income: $60,183
• Lowest end of middle class income: $40,122
• Highest end of middle class income: $120,366

Louisiana

• Median household income: $57,852
• Lowest end of middle class income: $38,568
• Highest end of middle class income: $115,704

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Maine

• Median household income: $68,251
• Lowest end of middle class income: $45,500
• Highest end of middle class income: $136,502

Maryland

• Median household income: $98,461
• Lowest end of middle class income: $65,640
• Highest end of middle class income: $196,922

Massachusetts

• Median household income: $96,505
• Lowest end of middle class income: $64,336
• Highest end of middle class income: $193,010

Michigan

• Median household income: $68,505
• Lowest end of middle class income: $45,670
• Highest end of middle class income: $137,010

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Minnesota

• Median household income: $84,313
• Lowest end of middle class income: $56,208
• Highest end of middle class income: $168,626

Mississippi

• Median household income: $52,985
• Lowest end of middle class income: $35,323
• Highest end of middle class income: $105,970

Missouri

• Median household income: $65,920
• Lowest end of middle class income: $43,946
• Highest end of middle class income: $131,840

Montana

• Median household income: $66,341
• Lowest end of middle class income: $44,227
• Highest end of middle class income: $132,682

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Nebraska

• Median household income: $71,722
• Lowest end of middle class income: $47,814
• Highest end of middle class income: $143,444

Nevada

• Median household income: $71,646
• Lowest end of middle class income: $47,764
• Highest end of middle class income: $143,292

New Hampshire

• Median household income: $90,845
• Lowest end of middle class income: $60,563
• Highest end of middle class income: $181,690

New Jersey

• Median household income: $97,126
• Lowest end of middle class income: $64,750
• Highest end of middle class income: $194,252

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New Mexico

• Median household income: $58,722
• Lowest end of middle class income: $39,148
• Highest end of middle class income: $117,444

New York

• Median household income: $81,386
• Lowest end of middle class income: $54,257
• Highest end of middle class income: $162,772

North Carolina

• Median household income: $66,186
• Lowest end of middle class income: $44,124
• Highest end of middle class income: $132,372

North Dakota

• Median household income: $73,959
• Lowest end of middle class income: $49,306
• Highest end of middle class income: $147,918

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Ohio

• Median household income: $66,990
• Lowest end of middle class income: $44,660
• Highest end of middle class income: $133,980

Oklahoma

• Median household income: $61,364
• Lowest end of middle class income: $40,909
• Highest end of middle class income: $122,728

Oregon

• Median household income: $76,632
• Lowest end of middle class income: $51,087
• Highest end of middle class income: $153,264

Pennsylvania

• Median household income: $73,170
• Lowest end of middle class income: $48,780
• Highest end of middle class income: $146,340

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Rhode Island

• Median household income: $81,370
• Lowest end of middle class income: $54,246
• Highest end of middle class income: $162,740

South Carolina

• Median household income: $63,623
• Lowest end of middle class income: $42,415
• Highest end of middle class income: $127,246

South Dakota

• Median household income: $69,457
• Lowest end of middle class income: $46,304
• Highest end of middle class income: $138,914

Tennessee

• Median household income: $64,035
• Lowest end of middle class income: $42,690
• Highest end of middle class income: $128,070

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Texas

• Median household income: $73,035
• Lowest end of middle class income: $48,690
• Highest end of middle class income: $146,070

Utah

• Median household income: $86,833
• Lowest end of middle class income: $57,888
• Highest end of middle class income: $173,666

Vermont

• Median household income: $74,014
• Lowest end of middle class income: $49,342
• Highest end of middle class income: $148,028

Virginia

• Median household income: $87,249
• Lowest end of middle class income: $58,165
• Highest end of middle class income: $174,498

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Washington

• Median household income: $90,325
• Lowest end of middle class income: $60,216
• Highest end of middle class income: $180,650

West Virginia

• Median household income: $55,217
• Lowest end of middle class income: $36,811
• Highest end of middle class income: $110,434

Wisconsin

• Median household income: $72,458
• Lowest end of middle class income: $48,305
• Highest end of middle class income: $144,916

Wyoming

• Median household income: $72,495
• Lowest end of middle class income: $48,330
• Highest end of middle class income: $144,990

Cynthia Measom and Gabrielle Olya contributed to the reporting of this article.

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates found every state’s median household income as sourced from the 2022 American Community Survey as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Then, by following the Pew Research Center’s definition of middle-class income — “two-thirds to double the income of an area” — we found the middle-class income for every state. All data was collected and is up to date as of Feb. 27, 2024.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Every State?