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.
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Powered by Money.com - Yahoo may earn commission from the links above. 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 2019 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 states where it's easiest to be middle class.
SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $38,582 to $115,170
3-person family middle-class income range: $44,351 to $132,392
4-person family middle-class income range: $54,111 to $161,524
filo / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $57,776 to $172,466
3-person family middle-class income range: $62,818 to $187,516
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,727 to $208,140
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,015 to $131,388
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,098 to $140,592
4-person family middle-class income range: $55,092 to $164,454
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $36,376 to $108,586
3-person family middle-class income range: $41,271 to $123,198
4-person family middle-class income range: $47,895 to $142,970
adamkaz / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $52,681 to $157,258
3-person family middle-class income range: $57,796 to $172,524
4-person family middle-class income range: $66,091 to $197,288
Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $54,159 to $161,668
3-person family middle-class income range: $60,635 to $181,000
4-person family middle-class income range: $71,100 to $212,240
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $58,508 to $174,652
3-person family middle-class income range: $68,170 to $203,492
4-person family middle-class income range: $83,808 to $250,174
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $49,705 to $148,374
3-person family middle-class income range: $57,849 to $172,684
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,613 to $207,800
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,696 to $124,466
3-person family middle-class income range: $45,512 to $135,858
4-person family middle-class income range: $54,322 to $162,154
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,773 to $127,680
3-person family middle-class income range: $48,298 to $144,172
4-person family middle-class income range: $56,850 to $169,702
Art Wager / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $53,522 to $159,766
3-person family middle-class income range: $64,447 to $192,378
4-person family middle-class income range: $72,694 to $216,996
Charles Knowles / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,527 to $123,960
3-person family middle-class income range: $45,395 to $135,508
4-person family middle-class income range: $53,479 to $159,640
Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $48,972 to $146,186
3-person family middle-class income range: $56,939 to $169,968
4-person family middle-class income range: $68,452 to $204,334
Purdue9394 / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,360 to $126,448
3-person family middle-class income range: $49,472 to $147,678
4-person family middle-class income range: $58,007 to $173,156
Davel5957 / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $46,347 to $138,350
3-person family middle-class income range: $52,985 to $158,164
4-person family middle-class income range: $63,128 to $188,442
Davel5957 / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $45,939 to $137,130
3-person family middle-class income range: $52,285 to $156,076
4-person family middle-class income range: $60,490 to $180,568
Davel5957 / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $37,627 to $112,318
3-person family middle-class income range: $44,132 to $131,736
4-person family middle-class income range: $53,873 to $160,814
Jorg Hackermann / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $37,312 to $111,378
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,139 to $128,774
4-person family middle-class income range: $54,792 to $163,558
Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $43,831 to $130,840
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,410 to $159,434
4-person family middle-class income range: $62,685 to $187,120
Melpomenem / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $60,487 to $180,558
3-person family middle-class income range: $70,551 to $210,600
4-person family middle-class income range: $83,621 to $249,614
Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $57,063 to $170,338
3-person family middle-class income range: $71,220 to $212,596
4-person family middle-class income range: $87,939 to $262,504
RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,701 to $127,466
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,221 to $152,898
4-person family middle-class income range: $62,640 to $186,984
YinYang / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $52,135 to $155,628
3-person family middle-class income range: $63,777 to $190,380
4-person family middle-class income range: $75,671 to $225,884
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $34,818 to $103,934
3-person family middle-class income range: $38,130 to $113,820
4-person family middle-class income range: $46,144 to $137,742
Josh_Weinstock / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,764 to $124,668
3-person family middle-class income range: $48,967 to $146,170
4-person family middle-class income range: $59,308 to $177,038
Jon Bilous / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $43,244 to $129,086
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,063 to $149,442
4-person family middle-class income range: $58,586 to $174,884
benkrut / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $47,635 to $142,194
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,725 to $160,374
4-person family middle-class income range: $62,752 to $187,320
LPETTET / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,128 to $131,726
3-person family middle-class income range: $48,075 to $143,508
4-person family middle-class income range: $55,281 to $165,018
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $54,027 to $161,274
3-person family middle-class income range: $67,094 to $200,280
4-person family middle-class income range: $80,950 to $241,642
hanusst / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $56,409 to $168,384
3-person family middle-class income range: $70,741 to $211,166
4-person family middle-class income range: $86,287 to $257,572
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,203 to $117,024
3-person family middle-class income range: $39,809 to $118,834
4-person family middle-class income range: $45,526 to $135,898
frankpeters / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $48,674 to $145,296
3-person family middle-class income range: $57,889 to $172,802
4-person family middle-class income range: $70,331 to $209,944
Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,704 to $124,490
3-person family middle-class income range: $46,987 to $140,260
4-person family middle-class income range: $56,648 to $169,098
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,942 to $155,050
3-person family middle-class income range: $58,328 to $174,114
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,738 to $208,174
traveler1116 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,765 to $127,658
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,684 to $151,296
4-person family middle-class income range: $61,094 to $182,370
Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $40,754 to $121,654
3-person family middle-class income range: $44,458 to $132,710
4-person family middle-class income range: $51,015 to $152,284
zhudifeng / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $46,467 to $138,708
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,830 to $160,686
4-person family middle-class income range: $63,013 to $188,100
Pgiam / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $45,202 to $134,932
3-person family middle-class income range: $56,004 to $167,176
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,667 to $201,990
SeanPavonePhoto / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $50,797 to $151,632
3-person family middle-class income range: $58,581 to $174,870
4-person family middle-class income range: $72,251 to $215,674
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $40,983 to $122,338
3-person family middle-class income range: $44,612 to $133,170
4-person family middle-class income range: $54,252 to $161,946
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $45,763 to $136,606
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,908 to $154,948
4-person family middle-class income range: $59,443 to $177,442
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $40,158 to $119,874
3-person family middle-class income range: $45,967 to $137,216
4-person family middle-class income range: $54,118 to $161,546
Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,975 to $134,254
3-person family middle-class income range: $49,410 to $147,494
4-person family middle-class income range: $57,212 to $170,782
AndreyKrav / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $46,548 to $138,950
3-person family middle-class income range: $54,061 to $161,376
4-person family middle-class income range: $60,663 to $181,084
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $48,509 to $144,804
3-person family middle-class income range: $56,703 to $169,262
4-person family middle-class income range: $66,453 to $198,368
SeanPavonePhoto / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $53,226 to $158,886
3-person family middle-class income range: $61,968 to $184,980
4-person family middle-class income range: $73,000 to $217,910
SEASTOCK / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $53,747 to $160,438
3-person family middle-class income range: $61,211 to $182,720
4-person family middle-class income range: $71,747 to $214,170
Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $35,377 to $105,602
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,122 to $128,722
4-person family middle-class income range: $51,654 to $154,192
Ron_Thomas / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $46,216 to $137,958
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,882 to $166,812
4-person family middle-class income range: $66,791 to $199,376
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $49,018 to $146,322
3-person family middle-class income range: $54,955 to $164,046
4-person family middle-class income range: $64,195.38 to $191,628
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Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting of this article.
Methodology: GOBankingRates found how much the middle class earns in every state by analyzing the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey data to determine how much a two-, three- and four-person middle-class family earns. Pew Research Center defines middle class as making two-thirds (67%) to double (200%) the national median income. For this study, GOBankingRates assumed that a middle-class family earns two-thirds to double the median income for a family of its size in its state. To find out how much a middle-class family is earning, GOBankingRates multiplied each median income by 0.67 for the lower limit and by 2 for the upper limit. Data is accurate as of Jan. 19, 2022.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : What Income Level Is Considered Middle Class in Your State?
