A six-figure household income doesn’t necessarily make you rich — in many cases, it just means you’re middle class.
The upper bound of what’s considered middle class for households exceeds $100,000 in every U.S. state, according to a SmartAsset analysis of 2023 income data, the most recent available from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The report, which crunched the numbers for all 50 states, is based on Pew Research’s definition of middle class: two-thirds to double the median household income.
On that measure, Massachusetts has the highest threshold for middle-class salaries, overtaking New Jersey from last year’s rankings. A household there needs between $66,565 and $199,716 to be considered middle class, with the upper boundary increasing by nearly $11,000 from the previous report.
A six-figure income doesn’t go as far as it used to
Even as more households earn six-figure salaries, many middle-class earners are feeling the squeeze. While inflation-adjusted wages have risen since 2022, those gains have been largely offset by increasing costs since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Housing and food, in particular, have become more expensive. From January 2020 to December 2024, home prices climbed 52%, according to the Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, while food prices rose 30%, based on Consumer Price Index data. Over the same period, overall inflation grew 25%.
Rising costs help explain why two-thirds of middle-class Americans said they were struggling financially and didn’t expect their situation to improve in a 2024 survey from the National True Cost of Living Coalition.
Since then, year-over-year inflation has hovered around 3%, still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target but far below its June 2022 peak of 9.1%. But although price increases have slowed, the cumulative effect of the past few years has eroded many Americans’ spending power. As a result, a six-figure income may not stretch as far as it once did.
Below, see what’s considered middle class in your state.
Alabama
- Low end of middle class: $41,471
- High end of middle class: $124,424
- Median household income: $62,212
Alaska
- Low end of middle class: $57,748
- High end of middle class: $173,262
- Median household income: $86,631
Arizona
- Low end of middle class: $51,538
- High end of middle class: $154,630
- Median household income: $77,315
Arkansas
- Low end of middle class: $39,129
- High end of middle class: $117,400
- Median household income: $58,700
California
- Low end of middle class: $63,674
- High end of middle class: $191,042
- Median household income: $95,521
Colorado
- Low end of middle class: $61,934
- High end of middle class: $185,822
- Median household income: $92,911
Connecticut
- Low end of middle class: $61,104
- High end of middle class: $183,330
- Median household income: $91,665
Delaware
- Low end of middle class: $54,235
- High end of middle class: $162,722
- Median household income: $81,361
Florida
- Low end of middle class: $48,869
- High end of middle class: $146,622
- Median household income: $73,311
Georgia
- Low end of middle class: $49,750
- High end of middle class: $149,264
- Median household income: $74,632
Hawaii
- Low end of middle class: $63,542
- High end of middle class: $190,644
- Median household income: $95,322
Idaho
- Low end of middle class: $49,956
- High end of middle class: $149,884
- Median household income: $74,942
Illinois
- Low end of middle class: $53,532
- High end of middle class: $160,612
- Median household income: $80,306
Indiana
- Low end of middle class: $46,313
- High end of middle class: $138,954
- Median household income: $69,477
Iowa
- Low end of middle class: $47,617
- High end of middle class: $142,866
- Median household income: $71,433
Kansas
- Low end of middle class: $46,884
- High end of middle class: $140,666
- Median household income: $70,333
Kentucky
- Low end of middle class: $40,741
- High end of middle class: $122,236
- Median household income: $61,118
Louisiana
- Low end of middle class: $38,815
- High end of middle class: $116,458
- Median household income: $58,229
Maine
- Low end of middle class: $49,150
- High end of middle class: $147,466
- Median household income: $73,733
Maryland
- Low end of middle class: $65,779
- High end of middle class: $197,356
- Median household income: $98,678
Massachusetts
- Low end of middle class: $66,565
- High end of middle class: $199,716
- Median household income: $99,858
Michigan
- Low end of middle class: $46,117
- High end of middle class: $138,366
- Median household income: $69,183
Minnesota
- Low end of middle class: $56,718
- High end of middle class: $170,172
- Median household income: $85,086
Mississippi
- Low end of middle class: $36,132
- High end of middle class: $108,406
- Median household income: $54,203
Missouri
- Low end of middle class: $45,692
- High end of middle class: $137,090
- Median household income: $68,545
Montana
- Low end of middle class: $47,198
- High end of middle class: $141,608
- Median household income: $70,804
Nebraska
- Low end of middle class: $49,722
- High end of middle class: $149,180
- Median household income: $74,590
Nevada
- Low end of middle class: $50,904
- High end of middle class: $152,728
- Median household income: $76,364
New Hampshire
- Low end of middle class: $64,552
- High end of middle class: $193,676
- Median household income: $96,838
New Jersey
- Low end of middle class: $66,514
- High end of middle class: $199,562
- Median household income: $99,781
New Mexico
- Low end of middle class: $41,508
- High end of middle class: $124,536
- Median household income: $62,268
New York
- Low end of middle class: $54,725
- High end of middle class: $164,190
- Median household income: $82,095
North Carolina
- Low end of middle class: $47,198
- High end of middle class: $141,608
- Median household income: $70,804
North Dakota
- Low end of middle class: $51,012
- High end of middle class: $153,050
- Median household income: $76,525
Ohio
- Low end of middle class: $45,175
- High end of middle class: $135,538
- Median household income: $67,769
Oklahoma
- Low end of middle class: $41,421
- High end of middle class: $124,276
- Median household income: $62,138
Oregon
- Low end of middle class: $53,435
- High end of middle class: $160,320
- Median household income: $80,160
Pennsylvania
- Low end of middle class: $49,211
- High end of middle class: $147,648
- Median household income: $73,824
Rhode Island
- Low end of middle class: $56,642
- High end of middle class: $169,944
- Median household income: $84,972
South Carolina
- Low end of middle class: $45,198
- High end of middle class: $135,608
- Median household income: $67,804
South Dakota
- Low end of middle class: $47,869
- High end of middle class: $143,620
- Median household income: $71,810
Tennessee
- Low end of middle class: $45,083
- High end of middle class: $135,262
- Median household income: $67,631
Texas
- Low end of middle class: $50,515
- High end of middle class: $151,560
- Median household income: $75,780
Utah
- Low end of middle class: $62,274
- High end of middle class: $186,842
- Median household income: $93,421
Vermont
- Low end of middle class: $54,135
- High end of middle class: $162,422
- Median household income: $81,211
Virginia
- Low end of middle class: $59,948
- High end of middle class: $179,862
- Median household income: $89,931
Washington
- Low end of middle class: $63,064
- High end of middle class: $189,210
- Median household income: $94,605
West Virginia
- Low end of middle class: $37,295
- High end of middle class: $111,896
- Median household income: $55,948
Wisconsin
- Low end of middle class: $49,749
- High end of middle class: $149,262
- Median household income: $74,631
Wyoming
- Low end of middle class: $48,272
- High end of middle class: $144,830
- Median household income: $72,415
