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This Is How Much Middle-Class Families Earn in Every State

September 28, 2024

8 min Read

Written by Cynthia Measom

Edited by Amen Oyiboke

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What is considered middle class? It takes more money than you might think to reach this income tier, and it differs depending upon which state you live in. Pew Research Center defines middle-class or middle-income households as those with incomes that are two-thirds (66.6%) to double (200%) the U.S. median household income of $70,784. According to this formula, Pew determined that middle-class Americans have incomes ranging from approximately $37,638 to $379,038, depending on the size of the household.

Using these criteria, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey to determine how much a two-, three- and four-person middle-class family earns in every state. Find out if you live in one of the best or worst states for the middle class.

Alabama

2-person family middle-class income range: $41,950 to $125,862
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,949 to $143,860
4-person family middle-class income range: $58,932 to $176,814

Alaska

2-person family middle-class income range: $57,768 to $173,322
3-person family middle-class income range: $67,731 to $203,214
4-person family middle-class income range: $74,811 to $224,454

Arizona

2-person family middle-class income range: $48,297 to $144,906
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,457 to $160,388
4-person family middle-class income range: $61,630 to $184,908

Arkansas

2-person family middle-class income range: $39,536 to $118,620
3-person family middle-class income range: $44,712 to $134,150
4-person family middle-class income range: $52,651 to $157,970

California

2-person family middle-class income range: $57,344 to $172,050
3-person family middle-class income range: $63,898 to $191,714
4-person family middle-class income range: $73,912 to $221,758

Colorado

2-person family middle-class income range: $59,475 to $178,442
3-person family middle-class income range: $67,773 to $203,338
4-person family middle-class income range: $79,017 to $237,076

Connecticut

2-person family middle-class income range: $61,438 to $184,332
3-person family middle-class income range: $72,449 to $217,370
4-person family middle-class income range: $88,780 to $266,368

Delaware

2-person family middle-class income range: $54,425 to $163,292
3-person family middle-class income range: $62,112 to $186,354
4-person family middle-class income range: $74,573 to $223,742

District of Columbia

2-person family middle-class income range: $85,918 to $257,780
3-person family middle-class income range: $81,145 to $243,460
4-person family middle-class income range: $106,431 to $319,324

Florida

2-person family middle-class income range: $44,956 to $134,880
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,072 to $150,230
4-person family middle-class income range: $59,257 to $177,790

Georgia

2-person family middle-class income range: $47,059 to $141,190
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,416 to $160,264
4-person family middle-class income range: $63,486 to $190,476

Hawaii

2-person family middle-class income range: $57,793 to $173,396
3-person family middle-class income range: $69,210 to $207,652
4-person family middle-class income range: $79,515 to $238,570

Idaho

2-person family middle-class income range: $45,922 to $137,780
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,365 to $154,110
4-person family middle-class income range: $57,808 to $173,442

Illinois

2-person family middle-class income range: $52,969 to $158,922
3-person family middle-class income range: $62,320 to $186,978
4-person family middle-class income range: $75,112 to $225,358

Indiana

2-person family middle-class income range: $45,935 to $137,820
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,319 to $159,972
4-person family middle-class income range: $63,576 to $190,746

Iowa

2-person family middle-class income range: $49,881 to $149,658
3-person family middle-class income range: $57,038 to $171,130
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,666 to $209,020

Kansas

2-person family middle-class income range: $49,580 to $148,756
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,444 to $166,348
4-person family middle-class income range: $65,555 to $196,686

Kentucky

2-person family middle-class income range: $41,141 to $123,434
3-person family middle-class income range: $48,319 to $144,972
4-person family middle-class income range: $58,364 to $175,110

Louisiana

2-person family middle-class income range: $40,523 to $121,580
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,336 to $142,022
4-person family middle-class income range: $57,950 to $173,868

Maine

2-person family middle-class income range: $47,753 to $143,274
3-person family middle-class income range: $57,770 to $173,326
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,806 to $209,438

Maryland

2-person family middle-class income range: $64,417 to $193,270
3-person family middle-class income range: $75,988 to $227,988
4-person family middle-class income range: $90,953 to $272,886

Massachusetts

2-person family middle-class income range: $61,473 to $184,436
3-person family middle-class income range: $77,623 to $232,892
4-person family middle-class income range: $96,984 to $290,982

Michigan

2-person family middle-class income range: $46,581 to $139,756
3-person family middle-class income range: $56,634 to $169,920
4-person family middle-class income range: $68,728 to $206,206

Minnesota

2-person family middle-class income range: $56,232 to $168,712
3-person family middle-class income range: $69,365 to $208,116
4-person family middle-class income range: $83,755 to $251,290

Mississippi

2-person family middle-class income range: $37,540 to $112,632
3-person family middle-class income range: $41,914 to $125,754
4-person family middle-class income range: $50,195 to $150,600

Missouri

2-person family middle-class income range: $45,523 to $136,582
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,998 to $162,010
4-person family middle-class income range: $64,993 to $194,998

Montana

2-person family middle-class income range: $46,878 to $140,648
3-person family middle-class income range: $52,656 to $157,984
4-person family middle-class income range: $63,661 to $191,002

Nebraska

2-person family middle-class income range: $50,910 to $152,744
3-person family middle-class income range: $57,302 to $171,924
4-person family middle-class income range: $68,176 to $204,548

Nevada

2-person family middle-class income range: $46,889 to $140,682
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,179 to $159,554
4-person family middle-class income range: $59,544 to $178,650

New Hampshire

2-person family middle-class income range: $58,306 to $174,934
3-person family middle-class income range: $73,977 to $221,954
4-person family middle-class income range: $88,957 to $266,898

New Jersey

2-person family middle-class income range: $60,641 to $181,942
3-person family middle-class income range: $75,727 to $227,204
4-person family middle-class income range: $94,247 to $282,768

New Mexico

2-person family middle-class income range: $41,845 to $125,548
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,686 to $131,072
4-person family middle-class income range: $50,729 to $152,202

New York

2-person family middle-class income range: $52,703 to $158,126
3-person family middle-class income range: $63,502 to $190,526
4-person family middle-class income range: $77,836 to $233,530

North Carolina

2-person family middle-class income range: $45,472 to $136,430
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,036 to $153,124
4-person family middle-class income range: $63,895 to $191,704

North Dakota

2-person family middle-class income range: $55,153 to $165,476
3-person family middle-class income range: $61,451 to $184,370
4-person family middle-class income range: $76,328 to $229,006

Ohio

2-person family middle-class income range: $46,369 to $139,122
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,534 to $166,618
4-person family middle-class income range: $66,731 to $200,212

Oklahoma

2-person family middle-class income range: $43,662 to $130,998
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,947 to $143,854
4-person family middle-class income range: $55,396 to $166,206

Oregon

2-person family middle-class income range: $50,948 to $152,858
3-person family middle-class income range: $60,023 to $180,086
4-person family middle-class income range: $71,417 to $214,272

Pennsylvania

2-person family middle-class income range: $49,133 to $147,414
3-person family middle-class income range: $61,026 to $183,096
4-person family middle-class income range: $74,216 to $222,670

Rhode Island

2-person family middle-class income range: $55,746 to $167,254
3-person family middle-class income range: $65,160 to $195,500
4-person family middle-class income range: $76,221 to $228,686

South Carolina

2-person family middle-class income range: $43,950 to $131,862
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,107 to $150,336
4-person family middle-class income range: $59,811 to $179,450

South Dakota

2-person family middle-class income range: $50,294 to $150,896
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,225 to $165,692
4-person family middle-class income range: $64,228 to $192,702

Tennessee

2-person family middle-class income range: $43,456 to $130,382
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,461 to $151,398
4-person family middle-class income range: $60,125 to $180,394

Texas

2-person family middle-class income range: $48,463 to $145,404
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,459 to $160,392
4-person family middle-class income range: $62,971 to $188,932

Utah

2-person family middle-class income range: $51,194 to $153,598
3-person family middle-class income range: $60,391 to $181,192
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,161 to $201,504

Vermont

2-person family middle-class income range: $52,927 to $158,798
3-person family middle-class income range: $61,327 to $183,998
4-person family middle-class income range: $73,767to $221,322

Virginia

2-person family middle-class income range: $57,033 to $171,116
3-person family middle-class income range: $67,889 to $203,686
4-person family middle-class income range: $80,745 to $242,260

Washington

2-person family middle-class income range: $58,515 to $175,564
3-person family middle-class income range: $68,354 to $205,082
4-person family middle-class income range: $80,269 to $240,832

West Virginia

2-person family middle-class income range: $38,799 to $116,408
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,236 to $141,722
4-person family middle-class income range: $56,056to $168,184

Wisconsin

2-person family middle-class income range: $50,244 to $150,746
3-person family middle-class income range: $60,447 to $216,980
4-person family middle-class income range: $72,319 to $219,330

Wyoming

2-person family middle-class income range: $51,644 to $154,946
3-person family middle-class income range: $59,529 to $178,604
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,400 to $208,220

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Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates found how much the middle class earns in every state by analyzing the U.S. Census Bureau’s2021 American Community Survey 5-year data to determine how much a two-, three- and four-personmiddle-class family earns. Pew Research Center defines the middle class as making two-thirds (66.66%) todouble (200%) the national median income. For this study, GOBankingRates assumed that a middle-classfamily earns two-thirds to double the median income for a family of its size in its state. In order to find outhow much a middle-class family is earning, GOBankingRates multiplied each median income by 0.67 for thelower limit and by 2 for the upper limit. All data was collected on and up to date as of March 27, 2023.