Mapping the Middle Class: Income Thresholds Across the US

The analysis applies a modified version of the Pew Research Center’s framework, which classifies middle-class households as those earning between two-thirds and double the median income. By ranking states based on the upper limit of this bracket, the study underscores the reality of the K-shaped economy, where the definition of financial stability is tethered to regional cost-of-living pressures.

Massachusetts currently holds the highest threshold in the nation, where a household can earn up to $209,656 and still fall within the middle-class range. New Jersey follows closely with a ceiling of $208,588. At the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi serves as the lowest-ranked state, where the middle-class classification tops out at $118,254. West Virginia sits just above, with an upper limit of $121,596. These figures highlight that while some households earning over $200,000 remain categorized as middle class in high-cost states, those same earnings would place residents in a significantly different economic tier in lower-cost regions.