# 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.
- Title: What it takes to be middle class in every US state | Shortify
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: middle class, household income, united states, economic inequality, state rankings, pew research center, smartasset study, Business Insider
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/middle-class-income-in-every-state-ranking
- Author: Kristine Villarroel
- Published: 2026-11-04T15:07:13.354+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: middle class, household income, united states, economic inequality, state rankings, pew research center, smartasset study, business, technology
## 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.
## Key takeaway

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.