From Business Insider · Kristine Villarroel · · 2m
What it takes to be middle class in every US state
A SmartAsset study ranks all 50 states by the income needed to qualify as middle class, from Mississippi at $39,418 to Massachusetts at $209,656.
In brief
A SmartAsset study ranks all 50 states by the income needed to qualify as middle class, from Mississippi at $39,418 to Massachusetts at $209,656. Middle-class income ranges vary dramatically across US states, from under forty-five thousand dollars in seven states to over two hundred thousand dollars in five states…
What defines middle class today
On average across all fifty states, US middle-class households earn between fifty-three thousand nine hundred thirty-five and one hundred sixty-one thousand eight hundred six dollars annually.
How the study measured it
SmartAsset used US Census Bureau two thousand twenty-four median household income estimates and applied Pew Research Center's definition: households earning between two-thirds and double the median income.
The ranking method
States were ranked by comparing the upper limit of middle-class income, from highest to lowest. Five states have ceilings over two hundred thousand dollars; seven have floors under forty-five thousand.
Massachusetts leads the nation
In Massachusetts, the highest-ranked state, a household can earn up to two hundred nine thousand six hundred fifty-six dollars and still be considered middle class.
New Jersey ranks second highest
In New Jersey, the second-highest state, it takes an annual income of sixty-nine thousand five hundred twenty-nine dollars to be considered middle class.
Mississippi has the lowest ceiling
Mississippi has the lowest middle-class income ceiling in the US. Earning more than one hundred eighteen thousand two hundred fifty-four dollars puts you above the threshold.
“Mississippi has the lowest middle-class income ceiling in the US.”
West Virginia ranks second lowest
In West Virginia, the second-lowest state, a household earning forty thousand five hundred thirty-two dollars can be considered middle class.
The five highest-income states
Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California all have middle-class income ceilings exceeding two hundred thousand dollars annually.
The seven lowest-income states
Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Alabama all have middle-class income floors under forty-five thousand dollars annually.
The income gap widens
The difference between the highest and lowest states shows how much middle-class status depends on location. Massachusetts requires nearly five times Mississippi's income ceiling.
What matters most
Middle-class income ranges vary dramatically across US states, from under forty-five thousand dollars in seven states to over two hundred thousand dollars in five states.
