What Income Level Is Considered Middle Class in Your State?

Gabrielle Olya

March 7, 2021, 3:00 AM·12 min read

What is considered middle class? It might take more money than you think to reach this income tier. The Pew Research Center defines middle class, or middle-income households, as those with incomes that are two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income.

Find Out: 25 Cities Where the Middle Class Is Thriving

However, because the cost of living and average income varies so widely from state to state, the income needed to be “middle class” in one state could be much more or less than what it takes to be middle class in another. Using Pew’s definition of middle class, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey to determine how much two-, three- and four-person families need to earn in every state to qualify for this classification.

Find out the state’s where it’s easiest to be middle class.

Last updated: Jan. 26, 2021

Urban scene of downtown Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

50. Alabama

2-person family middle-class income range: $37,172.94 to $110,964
3-person family middle-class income range: $42,604.63 to $127,178
4-person family middle-class income range: $52,438.89 to $156,534

See: States Where It’s Easiest To Go From Middle Class to Upper Class

49. Alaska

2-person family middle-class income range: $56,330.92 to $168,152
3-person family middle-class income range: $60,428.64 to $180,384
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,665.26 to $207,956

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Tucson, Arizona, USA downtown skyline with Sentinel Peak at dusk.

48. Arizona

2-person family middle-class income range: $42,284.37 to $126,222
3-person family middle-class income range: $45,197.53 to $134,918
4-person family middle-class income range: $53,119.61 to $158,566

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Fayetteville is the third-largest city in Arkansas and county seat of Washington County.

47. Arkansas

2-person family middle-class income range: $35,087.23 to $104,738
3-person family middle-class income range: $38,855.31 to $115,986
4-person family middle-class income range: $46,507.38 to $138,828

Aerial image of downtown Los Angeles, California at night.

46. California

2-person family middle-class income range: $50,117.34 to $149,604
3-person family middle-class income range: $54,870.99 to $163,794
4-person family middle-class income range: $62,647.68 to $187,008

45. Colorado

2-person family middle-class income range: $51,695.19 to $154,314
3-person family middle-class income range: $57,772.76 to $172,456
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,509.20 to $201,520

44. Connecticut

2-person family middle-class income range: $56,695.40 to $169,240
3-person family middle-class income range: $66,263 to $197,800
4-person family middle-class income range: $80,839.52 to $241,312

43. Delaware

2-person family middle-class income range: $47,450.07 to $141,642
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,792.91 to $166,546
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,502.50 to $201,500

Tampa, Florida, USA downtown city skyline.

42. Florida

2-person family middle-class income range: $39,789.96 to $118,776
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,393.89 to $129,534
4-person family middle-class income range: $51,789.66 to $154,596

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41. Georgia

2-person family middle-class income range: $40,845.21 to $121,926
3-person family middle-class income range: $46,002.20 to $137,320
4-person family middle-class income range: $53,740.03 to $160,418

40. Hawaii

2-person family middle-class income range: $51,397.71 to $153,426
3-person family middle-class income range: $61,821.57 to $184,542
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,842.14 to $208,484

39. Idaho

2-person family middle-class income range: $39,885.10 to $119,060
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,232.42 to $129,052
4-person family middle-class income range: $50,060.39 to $149,434

38. Illinois

2-person family middle-class income range: $47,116.41 to $140,646
3-person family middle-class income range: $54,310.87 to $162,122
4-person family middle-class income range: $65,412.77 to $195,262

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Indianapolis, Indiana, USA - July 24, 2010: Family Enjoys Pedal Boat on Canal in Downtown Indianapolis.

37. Indiana

2-person family middle-class income range: $40,695.80 to $121,480
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,411.21 to $141,526
4-person family middle-class income range: $55,750.03 to $166,418

Downtown Des Moines skyline and Martin Luther King Jr.

36. Iowa

2-person family middle-class income range: $44,792.18 to $133,708
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,367.56 to $153,336
4-person family middle-class income range: $61,254.08 to $182,848

35. Kansas

2-person family middle-class income range: $44,103.42 to $131,652
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,075.80 to $149,480
4-person family middle-class income range: $58,316.13 to $174,078

Louisville downtown skyline view with a park with trees in the foreground.

34. Kentucky

2-person family middle-class income range: $36,106.97 to $107,782
3-person family middle-class income range: $42,429.09 to $126,654
4-person family middle-class income range: $52,059 to $155,400

33. Louisiana

2-person family middle-class income range: $36,315.34 to $108,404
3-person family middle-class income range: $42,047.19 to $125,514
4-person family middle-class income range: $53,242.89 to $158,934

32. Maine

2-person family middle-class income range: $42,119.55 to $125,730
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,917.32 to $151,992
4-person family middle-class income range: $60,412.56 to $180,336

Aerial view of the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Maryland on a clear summer day.

31. Maryland

2-person family middle-class income range: $58,147.96 to $173,576
3-person family middle-class income range: $68,045.87 to $203,122
4-person family middle-class income range: $80,429.48 to $240,088

30. Massachusetts

2-person family middle-class income range: $54,438.17 to $162,502
3-person family middle-class income range: $68,368.81 to $204,086
4-person family middle-class income range: $83,974.45 to $250,670

"Detroit, Michigan, USA - April 4, 2012: People walking their dog on a sunny day on Belle Isle, a city park in the Detroit River.

29. Michigan

2-person family middle-class income range: $41,073.68 to $122,608
3-person family middle-class income range: $49,233.61 to $146,966
4-person family middle-class income range: $60,088.28 to $179,368

28. Minnesota

2-person family middle-class income range: $50,252.01 to $150,006
3-person family middle-class income range: $60,824.61 to $181,566
4-person family middle-class income range: $72,837.71 to $217,426

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Tupelo is the county seat and the largest city of Lee County, Mississippi, United States.

27. Mississippi

2-person family middle-class income range: $33,585.09 to $100,254
3-person family middle-class income range: $36,874.79 to $110,074
4-person family middle-class income range: $44,646.79 to $133,274

Downtown Kansas City, Missouri at daytime under a big blue sky and striking clouds.

26. Missouri

2-person family middle-class income range: $40,137.02 to $119,812
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,224.28 to $140,968
4-person family middle-class income range: $56,973.45 to $170,070

Missoula from Mount Sentinel, in Missoula, Montana.

25. Montana

2-person family middle-class income range: $41,358.43 to $123,458
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,905.67 to $143,002
4-person family middle-class income range: $57,155.02 to $170,612

24. Nebraska

2-person family middle-class income range: $45,617.62 to $136,172
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,282.47 to $153,082
4-person family middle-class income range: $60,474.87 to $180,522

Henderson, USA - February 11, 2014: A photo of Lake Las Vegas.

23. Nevada

2-person family middle-class income range: $42,436.46 to $126,676
3-person family middle-class income range: $46,585.10 to $139,060
4-person family middle-class income range: $52,754.46 to $157,476

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The quaint village of Harrisville New Hampshire reflecting on a small pond in autumn.

22. New Hampshire

2-person family middle-class income range: $51,969.89 to $155,134
3-person family middle-class income range: $63,278.82 to $188,892
4-person family middle-class income range: $77,816.48 to $232,288

21. New Jersey

2-person family middle-class income range: $54,144.71 to $161,626
3-person family middle-class income range: $67,765.81 to $202,286
4-person family middle-class income range: $82,698.10 to $246,860

20. New Mexico

2-person family middle-class income range: $38,553.14 to $115,084
3-person family middle-class income range: $38,622.15 to $115,290
4-person family middle-class income range: $43,667.92 to $130,352

19. New York

2-person family middle-class income range: $46,597.83 to $139,098
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,155.74 to $164,644
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,252.59 to $200,754

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Charlotte North Carolina daytime skyline

18. North Carolina

2-person family middle-class income range: $39,766.51 to $118,706
3-person family middle-class income range: $44,938.24 to $134,144
4-person family middle-class income range: $54,094.46 to $161,476

Fargo is the most populous city in the state of North Dakota, accounting for over 15% of the state population.

17. North Dakota

2-person family middle-class income range: $50,524.70 to $150,820
3-person family middle-class income range: $56,369.11 to $168,266
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,521.93 to $201,558

16. Ohio

2-person family middle-class income range: $41,263.96 to $123,176
3-person family middle-class income range: $48,556.91 to $144,946
4-person family middle-class income range: $58,955.98 to $175,988

15. Oklahoma

2-person family middle-class income range: $39,604.37 to $118,222
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,061.57 to $128,542
4-person family middle-class income range: $49,231.60 to $146,960

steel bridge over water with cityscape and skyline in portland.

14. Oregon

2-person family middle-class income range: $44,341.27 to $132,362
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,984.32 to $152,192
4-person family middle-class income range: $59,710.40 to $178,240

13. Pennsylvania

2-person family middle-class income range: $43,328.90 to $129,340
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,888.10 to $160,860
4-person family middle-class income range: $64,841.26 to $193,556

Providence, Rhode Island was one of the first cities established in the United States.

12. Rhode Island

2-person family middle-class income range: $48,213.20 to $143,920
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,043.85 to $164,310
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,286.71 to $206,826

11. South Carolina

2-person family middle-class income range: $39,337.04 to $117,424
3-person family middle-class income range: $42,692.40 to $127,440
4-person family middle-class income range: $51,590 to $154,000

Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.

10. South Dakota

2-person family middle-class income range: $44,333.90 to $132,340
3-person family middle-class income range: $49,529.08 to $147,848
4-person family middle-class income range: $57,928.87 to $172,922

9. Tennessee

2-person family middle-class income range: $38,167.22 to $113,932
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,790.53 to $130,718
4-person family middle-class income range: $51,220.83 to $152,898

8. Texas

2-person family middle-class income range: $43,321.53 to $129,318
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,581.39 to $142,034
4-person family middle-class income range: $54,994.94 to $164,164

Look: How Far a $100,000 Salary Goes in America’s 50 Largest Cities

Salt Lake City panoramic overview in the evening.

7. Utah

2-person family middle-class income range: $44,442.44 to $132,664
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,330.71 to $153,226
4-person family middle-class income range: $57,409.62 to $171,372

6. Vermont

2-person family middle-class income range: $46,184.44 to $137,864
3-person family middle-class income range: $54,231.14 to $161,884
4-person family middle-class income range: $63,166.26 to $188,556

Lynchburg, Virginia, USA downtown skyline.

5. Virginia

2-person family middle-class income range: $51,174.60 to $152,760
3-person family middle-class income range: $59,441.06 to $177,436
4-person family middle-class income range: $70,116.84 to $209,304

4. Washington

2-person family middle-class income range: $51,331.38 to $153,228
3-person family middle-class income range: $58,312.78 to $174,068
4-person family middle-class income range: $68,185.23 to $203,538

3. West Virginia

2-person family middle-class income range: $34,203.50 to $102,100
3-person family middle-class income range: $41,735.64 to $124,584
4-person family middle-class income range: $49,760.90 to $148,540

Skyscrapers skyline of Milwukee and reflections in Lake Michigan, WI.

2. Wisconsin

2-person family middle-class income range: $44,306.43 to $132,258
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,190.63 to $158,778
4-person family middle-class income range: $64,167.91 to $191,546

1. Wyoming

2-person family middle-class income range: $47,764.30 to $142,580
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,187.95 to $158,770
4-person family middle-class income range: $61,159.61 to $182,566

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Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting of this article.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: What Income Level Is Considered Middle Class in Your State?

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