How Much You Need to Earn to Be Considered Middle Class in Every US State, Ranked Lowest to Highest
How the study set its ranges
SmartAsset used 2024 one-year American Community Survey median household income estimates from the US Census Bureau for all 50 states. It applied a variation of the Pew Research Center definition, counting households earning between two-thirds and twice the median income as middle class.
The states were ranked by the upper end of each state’s middle-class income range, from highest to lowest. The resulting figures describe household income thresholds, not a single national income standard.
The highest and lowest thresholds
Massachusetts ranked highest: households earning as much as $209,656 can still fall within the middle-class range. Mississippi ranked lowest, with earnings above $118,254 putting a household beyond that range.
Five states have middle-class ceilings above $200,000, while seven include households earning less than $45,000. The wide spread reflects differences in median household income among states.
Other states near the extremes
New Jersey ranked second-highest, with an annual income of $69,529 cited as the amount needed to be considered middle class. West Virginia ranked second-lowest; a household earning $40,532 can qualify.
These examples illustrate that the figures vary substantially by state. The study’s ranking focuses on the upper limit of each middle-class range.
Key points
- SmartAsset compared income ranges across all 50 states using 2024 Census estimates.
- The study defined middle-class income as between two-thirds and twice the median household income.
- Massachusetts had the highest ceiling at $209,656; Mississippi had the lowest at $118,254.
- Five states had ceilings above $200,000, while seven included households earning under $45,000.