Middle class
There is no single official definition of middle class, but the Census data gives two clear ways to measure it. Here are both, nationally and for every state.
The short answer
The exact middle fifth of U.S. households earns $63,330 to $101,088. A broader and widely used definition, two-thirds to double the national median, runs from about $54,000 to $161,000.
The Census Bureau ranks every household by income and splits them into five equal groups. The middle group, from the 40th to the 60th percentile, is the most literal "middle." Nationally that is $63,330 to $101,088. The three middle groups together, from the 20th to the 80th percentile, run from $33,040 to $162,235.
Researchers, including the Pew Research Center, often define middle-income households as those earning between two-thirds and double the median. With a U.S. median household income of $80,734, that range is about $54,000 to $161,000 before adjusting for household size. Pew adjusts for household size, so a family of four needs more than a single person to count as middle income.
Because incomes vary so much by state, the middle class looks different from place to place.
| State | Middle fifth | Two-thirds to double the median |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50,003 to $81,046 | $43,000 to $128,000 |
| Alaska | $75,242 to $113,458 | $62,000 to $186,000 |
| Arizona | $63,638 to $98,735 | $53,000 to $160,000 |
| Arkansas | $47,720 to $76,148 | $41,000 to $122,000 |
| California | $77,573 to $123,854 | $66,000 to $198,000 |
| Colorado | $76,043 to $117,874 | $64,000 to $191,000 |
| Connecticut | $75,217 to $120,507 | $64,000 to $192,000 |
| Delaware | $67,569 to $104,810 | $57,000 to $170,000 |
| Florida | $59,310 to $92,767 | $50,000 to $149,000 |
| Georgia | $60,932 to $96,339 | $52,000 to $155,000 |
| Hawaii | $80,090 to $122,967 | $67,000 to $201,000 |
| Idaho | $63,191 to $94,372 | $52,000 to $156,000 |
| Illinois | $65,481 to $104,097 | $56,000 to $167,000 |
| Indiana | $57,454 to $88,293 | $48,000 to $144,000 |
| Iowa | $60,354 to $92,280 | $50,000 to $150,000 |
| Kansas | $59,423 to $91,921 | $50,000 to $149,000 |
| Kentucky | $49,966 to $80,106 | $42,000 to $127,000 |
| Louisiana | $46,680 to $77,978 | $41,000 to $122,000 |
| Maine | $59,467 to $93,592 | $50,000 to $149,000 |
| Maryland | $82,098 to $127,967 | $69,000 to $207,000 |
| Massachusetts | $80,312 to $131,158 | $69,000 to $208,000 |
| Michigan | $57,668 to $90,609 | $49,000 to $146,000 |
| Minnesota | $71,373 to $109,588 | $59,000 to $178,000 |
| Mississippi | $43,695 to $71,841 | $38,000 to $113,000 |
| Missouri | $55,996 to $87,668 | $47,000 to $141,000 |
| Montana | $57,998 to $89,058 | $48,000 to $145,000 |
| Nebraska | $61,191 to $94,538 | $51,000 to $153,000 |
| Nevada | $62,455 to $96,674 | $52,000 to $157,000 |
| New Hampshire | $79,141 to $120,856 | $66,000 to $198,000 |
| New Jersey | $80,893 to $129,581 | $69,000 to $207,000 |
| New Mexico | $50,229 to $80,865 | $43,000 to $128,000 |
| New York | $65,880 to $109,539 | $57,000 to $172,000 |
| North Carolina | $57,016 to $90,192 | $48,000 to $145,000 |
| North Dakota | $60,865 to $94,385 | $51,000 to $153,000 |
| Ohio | $56,301 to $88,728 | $48,000 to $143,000 |
| Oklahoma | $51,952 to $81,244 | $43,000 to $130,000 |
| Oregon | $65,904 to $102,791 | $55,000 to $166,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,442 to $97,586 | $52,000 to $156,000 |
| Rhode Island | $68,887 to $109,059 | $59,000 to $176,000 |
| South Carolina | $54,414 to $86,073 | $46,000 to $139,000 |
| South Dakota | $59,672 to $91,614 | $50,000 to $150,000 |
| Tennessee | $55,069 to $86,589 | $46,000 to $139,000 |
| Texas | $61,988 to $98,263 | $52,000 to $157,000 |
| Utah | $77,876 to $114,967 | $63,000 to $190,000 |
| Vermont | $64,525 to $100,958 | $54,000 to $162,000 |
| Virginia | $73,166 to $116,476 | $62,000 to $186,000 |
| Washington | $78,123 to $120,911 | $65,000 to $196,000 |
| Washington, D.C. | $84,247 to $142,394 | $73,000 to $220,000 |
| West Virginia | $46,532 to $74,888 | $40,000 to $119,000 |
| Wisconsin | $61,940 to $95,213 | $52,000 to $155,000 |
| Wyoming | $61,011 to $93,914 | $51,000 to $152,000 |
Middle fifth uses Census table B19080 quintile limits. The second column uses each state's median household income from table B19013, rounded.
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