“How much money do you need to earn to be middle class in the United States in 2024?”

As a reporter for the Epoch Times on April 26, 2024, middle-class Americans expect a relatively comfortable lifestyle. However, with costs increasing significantly in recent years, the income standards defining the middle class have also been raised in order to reflect the current income levels of most Americans.

A new report from the personal finance website SmartAsset reviewed data from the US Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center to determine the income requirements for the middle class in all 50 states and 345 largest cities across America.

SmartAsset used Pew Research’s definition of middle income, which ranges from two-thirds to double the median income of an area. As of the latest data from 2022, the median household income in the US is $73,914, meaning the income range for the middle class in America is approximately $49,271 to $147,828. According to SmartAsset, in the largest cities in America, the range for middle income falls between $51,558 and $154,590.

Therefore, this measurement standard may vary significantly in different places.

In New Jersey, the income gap for the middle class is the largest, with a difference of up to $128,468 between the lower and upper limits. In the state, a household income of at least $64,224 is needed to be considered middle class, while over $192,692 falls into the upper class category.

In contrast, New Jersey’s middle class could easily be among the wealthiest in Mississippi, where the income requirements for the middle class are the lowest on SmartAsset’s list. In Mississippi, income between $35,142 and $105,438 is considered middle class.

Here is a comparison of the income situation for the middle class in each state and 345 major cities in the US, compiled based on the SmartAsset report:

While New Jersey has the highest middle-class income, none of its cities made it into the top 10 most expensive cities to live in. It’s worth noting that the top four cities on that list are all in California.

Sunnyvale, in the Bay Area north of San Jose, is the wealthiest area for the middle class, requiring a household income of at least $113,176 to be considered “middle income.” Following closely are Fremont, San Mateo, and Santa Clara in California, all with middle-class annual incomes exceeding $100,000.

In addition to these four cities, Carlsbad in California also made it into the top ten list.

The report found that the cheapest city is Detroit, where an annual salary of only $24,300 is enough to be considered middle class. Following closely is Cleveland, Ohio, with the lower-end middle-class threshold at $24,898.