Defining yourself as being within the American middle class can be tricky, as it depends on everything from where you live to how you live. Your social class in the U.S. includes many factors and can teeter back and forth based on education levels, income per household and tax brackets. Pew Research Center analysis estimates that lower-income households last year had incomes less than $56,600, and upper-income households had incomes greater than $169,800.
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So, what will the median income for the upper middle class be in 2025? Here’s a look at the factors involved so you can see if you fit into this category.
Quick Take: Median Upper-Middle-Class Income in 2025
Based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, the median household income was listed at $75,580. If you’ve lived in a middle-income household and are curious to see what it would take to boost your status to the upper middle class, here are some key takeaways:
- The amount that’s considered middle class or upper middle class will depend on where you live in the country.
- Based on the definition of the middle class, the income range for this group would be anywhere from $49,715 to $149,160.
- That means that to be considered in the top 20% of the middle class, you would need to earn between $106,092 and $149,160, depending on where you live.
Based on these numbers, a household income between $106,000 and $150,000 would put you among American upper-middle-class individuals and income earners in most cities around the country. However, there’s more to these numbers because location is such a major factor.
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Median Income for the Upper Middle Class Varies by Location
According to GOBankingRates research, the median income varies tremendously by state due to the cost of living and employment possibilities. For example, if you live in Mississippi, a household income of $91,841 would put you in the upper middle class because the median income is $52,985. In Maryland, the median household income is $98,461, so your household would have to bring in $170,666 to be considered one of the upper members of the middle class.
While looking at the national average helps give us a better idea of what it takes to be in the upper middle class, you also have to consider the cost of living in your city and state.
Here are some more specific factors to consider about being in the upper-income tier of the middle class where you live:
- Housing prices
- Size of your family
- Local labor market
- Overall prices of everyday items
- Lifestyle and spending habits
- Tax levels
While an income of $106,000 to $150,000 lands you in the upper middle class based on national averages, this isn’t the case if you live somewhere with a much higher cost of living or need to adjust for household size, cost and property taxes. California, for example, has a threshold of $159,302 to be considered upper middle class, and this number only goes up in expensive cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles.
If you’re thinking about moving your family to upgrade your lifestyle, you’ll want to know the cost of living going in and if you can maintain an upper-middle-class status in that city.
Final Take To GO
The bottom line is that the financial status attributed to the upper middle class includes factoring where you live along with how much you make. It’s a moving metric of income status, so nailing down the exact amount you need to make to be considered a member of the upper middle class will depend on your unique financial situation and surrounding circumstances in 2025.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: What Is the Estimated Median Income for the Upper Middle Class in 2025?
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