FUYANG, CHINA - JANUARY 30, 2026 - US dollar banknotes captured in Fuyang City, Anhui Province, China on January 30, 2026. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The definition of middle class in the United States is always evolving, and changes drastically from state to state.
With cost of living and salary as two major factors, are you considered middle class where you live?
By the numbers:
A recent study revealed the lowest income needed to be considered middle class in each state, ranging from $39,418 to $69,885 — more than a $30,000 difference!
In Virginia, you need to earn at least $61,393 this year, which is nearly $1,500 more than last year. The upper-middle class income range for Virginia is nearly double: $143,251 to $184,180.
Those numbers are even higher in Maryland, which ranks as the third-hardest state to enter the middle class.
This year, Maryland residents must make at least $68,603 to be considered middle class — a $2,824 increase from last year. To be upper-middle class in Maryland, residents' income has to range from $160,074 to $205,810.
Big picture view:
Mississippi is the easiest state to be considered middle class, while Massachusetts is the hardest.
Massachusetts
- Upper-middle class income range: $163,066 to $209,656
- Lowest income to be middle class: $69,885
Mississippi
- Upper-middle class income range: $91,975 to $118,254
- Lowest income to be middle class: $39,418
Dig deeper:
The Pew Research Center defines "middle class" as earning an income between two-thirds and twice the national median income, falling between the socio-economic hierarchy of the working class and upper class.
About half of the adults in the United States considered themselves to be part of the middle class in 2022, according to a Gallup survey.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from Money Lion, SmartAsset, Pew Research and Gallup.