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Mapped: The Income Needed to Be Middle Class in Each State
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Key Takeaways
- The minimum income needed to be middle class ranges from $39.4K in Mississippi to $69.9K in Massachusetts.
- Northeastern and coastal states generally have the highest middle-class entry points.
- In much of the South, households can enter the middle-income range at under $45K.
What does it take to be considered middle class in the United States today? The answer varies widely depending on where you live.
This visualization maps the minimum income required to qualify as middle class in each U.S. state, based on the lower bound of middle-income households.
The data comes from SmartAsset, using U.S. Census Bureau median income figures and Pew Research Center’s definition of middle income as two-thirds to double the median household income.
Where the Bar for Middle Class Is Highest
The highest thresholds for middle-class income are concentrated in the Northeast.
Massachusetts ranks first, where households must earn roughly $69.9K to enter the middle-income range. New Jersey and Maryland follow closely behind at $69.5K and $68.6K, respectively. High wages and high living costs in these states push the threshold upward.
| Rank | State | Lower bound for middle class income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $69.9K |
| 2 | New Jersey | $69.5K |
| 3 | Maryland | $68.6K |
| 4 | Hawaii | $67.2K |
| 5 | California | $66.8K |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $66.5K |
| 7 | Washington | $66.3K |
| 8 | Colorado | $64.7K |
| 9 | Utah | $64.4K |
| 10 | Connecticut | $64.0K |
| 11 | Alaska | $63.8K |
| 12 | Virginia | $61.4K |
| 13 | Delaware | $58.4K |
| 14 | Minnesota | $58.1K |
| 15 | New York | $57.2K |
| 16 | Oregon | $56.8K |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $55.7K |
| 18 | Illinois | $55.5K |
| 19 | Vermont | $55.2K |
| 20 | Arizona | $54.3K |
| 21 | Idaho | $54.1K |
| 22 | Nevada | $54.1K |
| 23 | Georgia | $53.3K |
| 24 | Texas | $53.1K |
| 25 | North Dakota | $51.9K |
| 26 | Florida | $51.8K |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $51.7K |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $51.7K |
| 29 | South Dakota | $51.3K |
| 30 | Maine | $51.0K |
| 31 | Nebraska | $50.9K |
| 32 | Wyoming | $50.4K |
| 33 | Kansas | $50.3K |
| 34 | Iowa | $50.3K |
| 35 | Montana | $50.2K |
| 36 | North Carolina | $49.3K |
| 37 | Michigan | $48.3K |
| 38 | South Carolina | $48.2K |
| 39 | Ohio | $48.1K |
| 40 | Tennessee | $48.0K |
| 41 | Indiana | $48.0K |
| 42 | Missouri | $47.7K |
| 43 | New Mexico | $45.2K |
| 44 | Alabama | $44.4K |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $44.1K |
| 46 | Kentucky | $43.0K |
| 47 | Arkansas | $41.4K |
| 48 | Louisiana | $40.7K |
| 49 | West Virginia | $40.5K |
| 50 | Mississippi | $39.4K |
Other states with high thresholds include Hawaii, California, and New Hampshire, where the minimum middle-class income exceeds $66K.
The Lowest Thresholds Are Concentrated in the South
Many Southern states require significantly lower incomes to reach middle-class status.
Mississippi ranks last, with a lower bound of just $39.4K, followed by West Virginia at $40.5K and Louisiana at $40.7K. Arkansas and Kentucky also appear near the bottom of the list.
Overall, these lower thresholds largely reflect lower median incomes and lower living costs in the region.
The West Splits Between High-Cost and Mid-Tier States
The Western U.S. shows significant variation in middle-class income thresholds. States like California and Washington rank among the highest, with thresholds above $66K.
Meanwhile, several Mountain West states fall closer to the middle of the ranking. Arizona requires about $54.3K to be considered middle class, while Idaho and Nevada are both around $54K.
Lower-cost states such as New Mexico rank further down the list, with a middle-class threshold of about $45.2K.
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