Middle Class Income

[rennigade]

To me, using basic Unites States statistics, the middle class are those in the 25%-75% range of US household incomes. This amount is $25,000-$80,000 a year.

Come to DC and make only $25k/year and see how middle class you feel. You may have enough to live in a storage unit after taxes are taken and all your other expenses are paid.

[disneysteve]

Come to DC and make only $25k/year and see how middle class you feel. You may have enough to live in a storage unit after taxes are taken and all your other expenses are paid.

I think that's true in pretty much any metropolitan area. 25K is poverty level. Of course you would probably be getting food stamps, Medicaid, WIC, etc. which would help. Definitely not middle class though.

[ua_guy]

I don't want to rain on the parade, but the question was about middle class income, and that is a discussion of numbers. Always has been, and it's the only meaningful metric for describing the income distribtion in our country.

Middle class as a lifestyle is a subjective discussion. I like hearing people's perceptions because a lot of people describe class shifts based on other influencing factors other than income. That's more interesting to me as well.

[disneysteve]

I don't want to rain on the parade, but the question was about middle class income, and that is a discussion of numbers.

Okay, then I'd stand by my original answer. It depends. It depends on where you live. It depends on your family size.

[bigdaddybus]

The questions was "What is middle class" My response used US averages, I am not denying their are high cost of living areas and I didnt claim to account for them.

I dont think there is a perfect answer.

In the US, the Median household income is currently between $46,326-$50K depending on where you look. With half of US households making more than that and half making less. That is the middle of society. Is the middle of society middle class? I think so, to me that defines what middle class is.

Does the middle of society have good and bad times? Hell yes. In 1999, when adjusted for inflation the median US income was around $54,000 a year and gasoline averaged about 93 cents a gallon. In 2013 gas averaged $3.13 and median income ranges from $46-50K depending on where you look. What is my point? Over the last 15 years the middle class buying power has significantly decreased.


Where I live the median household income is $59,000.
My household income is $185-195K per year.

Does making over 3X the median income for my area qualify me as middle class? I would say no.
Upper middle class? I would say, Yes
Would many mistake me for wealthy? I would say no. Hauling 4 kids around in a mini van, going out to eat as a family usually just one a month, and buying used cars rather than new, and spending the summer painting our own house likely doesnt give that impression.

[disneysteve]

Perhaps a better question to ask would be "What does 'middle class' mean to you?" I think that's what most of us have been answering. That isn't about income alone. It is very much about what lifestyle is affordable for you and your family in the area where you live.

[TheKayla]

In comparison to your $200K earners, LAL, I know someone who I earns about $50K and lives in a very low cost of living area. She told me she thought she was lower class.

I know $50k isn't high, but "lower class?" That didn't strike me as correct either. I'd rather think of her life as, "keeping up okay, nutritious food on the table, able to afford the new roof when needed, air-conditioning humming along, heat pumping out in winter, car paid for in reasonable time, can save for retirement, kids in a decent school, health insurance, 4BR 2bath house w/ 2 car garage, landscaped, big kiddie toys in the yard, dance lessons for the kids, paying the mortgage down early, washer, dryer, dishwasher, extra freezer, able to afford home repairs and small improvements, electronics in the home, even if never the latest models, etc" That is how she lives, and that sounds middle class to me. It takes some skillful management to do it without consumer debt, and it takes saying no to some things. But over all it is a comfortable life.

Do we all just feel sorry for ourselves, no matter what our income, no matter how it in reality compares to others around us, no matter how secure and comfortable a life we can afford?

I'm with you on that one. I make 43K and while I'm living like lower class its because of my debt, that's a noncommon factor that once I'm out of debt, I'll have more than enough at that income. At debt free, in my location, it's incredibly affordable. I live in a city in the midwest -- I could have all my necessities covered where I'm at for around $500 per month, and that leaves over $1500 left for extras, wants, and savings. Not sure why anyone would think thats lower class. Lower class is living paycheck to paycheck, and possibly worse: not knowing where you next meal or rent payment is coming from! I agree, while it's hard to say what 'middle class' is, there's definitely a different way of looking at it and I think people are are quite privileged can be a little uppity at times and use the 'woe is me' attitude -- when really it's only their own habits that put them in any sort of financial turmoil.

[Gailete]

I think that's true in pretty much any metropolitan area. 25K is poverty level. Of course you would probably be getting food stamps, Medicaid, WIC, etc. which would help. Definitely not middle class though.

Depending on the family size, the folks living on $25-35,000 a year are many times the families in the cracks. Make too much to get food stamps, and government aid, but may have thousands of dollars in medical bills that there is no help for. They get taxed at a higher level than those who make $25,000 yet may get enough aid that their 'income' is in the $30,000 range. It all depends.

We live in this range and if not for medical bills and health insurance running $8+ a year, we would be living nicely, but that $8K takes a big bite out of our budget. Then the government wants to FINE people if they can't come up with money to pay into the Obamacare. The politicians somehow seem to think that we don't buy health insurance because we need to be forced into, not because we literally can't afford any more going out to medical costs.

Middle class is definitely on a floating continuum and is very much set by where you live and the lifestyle you are living or via credit cards trying to live. I consider us to be lower middle class but not in poverty. Those in poverty is really a state of mind besides the finances. What constitutes wealth to you? Are you happy with your life and what you have? How long is your Santa Claus list and what does it reflect about your needs and wants? How big is your kids Santa list and do they have realistic expectations of getting most of what is on it? Real life is how you determine what 'class' level you belong to.