1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA The obsession with upper-income, white suburban professionals provides myopic understandings of the past and flawed lessons for the future. These income ratios increased to 2.4 and 7.3 in 2016, respectively. The cost-of-living adjustment for an area was calculated as follows: Jackson, Tennessee, is a relatively inexpensive area, with a price level that is 17.9% less than the national average. A household in a metropolitan area with a higher-than-average cost of living or one with four or more people needs more than $48,500 to be included in the middle-income tier. In our analysis, “middle-income” Americans are adults whose annual household income is two-thirds to double the national median, after incomes have been adjusted for household size. Thus, the assignment of adults to an income tier in, say, 2011 is based on their household income in 2010. 125K in the midwest is middle class. Differences between numbers or percentages are computed before the underlying estimates are rounded. This allows you to see how other adults who are similar to you demographically are distributed across lower-, middle- and upper-income tiers in the U.S. overall. Financially, middle-class households in the U.S. were better off in 2016 than in 2010. Don’t let the mass media and government try to fool you. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax The survey found that 36% of lower-income adults and 28% of middle-income adults said they had lost a job or taken a pay cut due to the coronavirus outbreak, compared with 22% of upper-income adults. Our calculator below, updated with 2018 data, lets you find out which group you are in – first compared with other adults in your metropolitan area and among American adults overall, and then compared with other adults in the United States similar to you in education, age, race or ethnicity, and marital status. Your size-adjusted household income and the cost of living in your area are the factors we use to determine your income tier. From 1971 to 2011, the share of adults in the middle class fell by 10 percentage points. Introduction Starting cancer treatment early can improve outcomes. In 1970, the first year covered by earlier Pew Research Center analyses, the median income of upper-income households was 2.2 times the income of middle-income households and 6.3 times the income of lower-income households. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Pew Research Center designed this calculator as a way for users to see, based on the Center’s analysis, where they appear in the distribution of U.S. adults by income tier, as well as how they compare with others in their own demographic profile. The Hawaii metropolitan area known as Urban Honolulu is one of the most expensive areas, with a price level that is 24.4% higher than the national average. These areas are also more reliant on manufacturing than the nation overall. The metropolitan areas with the largest shares of lower-income adults are located primarily in the Southwest, with several on the southern border, such as McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX, and include farming communities in central California, such as Fresno, CA. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. This way, each household’s income is made equivalent to the income of a three-person household (the whole number nearest to the average size of a U.S. household, which was 2.5 in 2018). The estimated share living in upper-income households is greatest in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California (34%) and the smallest in El Centro, California (7%). The nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita did not return to its pre-recession peak (near the end of 2007) until the latter half of 2013. If you live in an area outside of one of these 260 areas, the calculator reports the estimates for your state. 225K-250K is upper middle class. The period from 2011 to 2016 encompasses much of the economic expansion following the Great Recession of 2007-09. Middle-income households – those with an income that is two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income – had incomes ranging from about $48,500 to $145,500 in 2018. 5 takeaways about the American middle class, 7 key findings on the state of the middle class in Western Europe, The shrinking middle class in U.S. metropolitan areas: 6 key findings, Through an American lens, Western Europe's middle classes appear smaller, Despite recovery, fewer Americans identify as middle class, U.S. has world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households, Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins, Americans far more likely to say evangelicals will lose influence, rather than gain it, under Biden, How the Coronavirus Outbreak Has – and Hasn’t – Changed the Way Americans Work, wealth gaps between upper-income families and lower- and middle-income families, earlier analysis of U.S. metropolitan areas, defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Note: This post and interactive calculator were originally published Dec. 9, 2015, and have been updated to reflect the Center’s new analysis. Thus, to step over the national middle-class threshold of $45,200, a household in Jackson needs an income of only about $37,150, or 17.9% less than the national standard. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World. For lower-income … The calculator takes your household income and adjusts it for the size of your household. Most Americans Point to Circumstances, Not Work Ethic, for Why People Are Rich or Poor, The American middle class is stable in size, but losing ground financially to upper-income families, Lower-income parents most concerned about their children falling behind amid COVID-19 school closures, America’s ‘middle’ holds its ground after the Great Recession, As the pandemic persisted, financial pressures became a bigger factor in why Americans decided to move, U.S. has world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households, Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins, Americans far more likely to say evangelicals will lose influence, rather than gain it, under Biden, How the Coronavirus Outbreak Has – and Hasn’t – Changed the Way Americans Work, defined by the Office of Management and Budget. The income calculator encompasses 260 of some 384 metropolitan areas in the U.S., as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. In our analysis, “middle-income” Americans are adults whose annual household income is two-thirds to double the national median, after incomes have been adjusted for household size. Respondents were asked to report their income received in the 12 months before the survey date. Likewise, the median income of U.S. households took until 2016 to return to where it stood prior to the start of the Great Recession in December 2007. The metropolitan areas with the largest shares of adults in upper-income households are mostly in the coastal areas of the Northeast and California. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. In 2018, the national middle-income range was about $48,500 to $145,500 annually for a household of three. Alabama. In 2016, the national middle-income range was about $45,200 to $135,600 annually for a household of three. These income ranges vary with the cost of living in metropolitan areas and with household size. The median income of lower-income households in 2016 ($25,624) was less than in 2000 ($26,923). The African-American upper class consists of engineers, lawyers, accountants, doctors, politicians, business executives, venture capitalists, CEOs, celebrities, entertainers, entrepreneurs and heirs who have high disposable incomes and high net worth. Indeed, the increase in the share of adults who are upper income was greater than the increase in the share who are lower income over that period, a sign of economic progress overall. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main I am a white, upper-middle class male who comes from a family who’s father is twice retired from both the federal and state government and has also sold a medical transportation company. But, recent gains notwithstanding, the median income of middle-class households in 2016 was about the same as in 2000, a reflection of the lingering effects of the Great Recession and an earlier recession in 2001. In 2016, the national middle-income range was about $45,200 to $135,600 annually for a household of three (incomes in 2016 dollars). About half of U.S. adults (52%) lived in middle-income households in 2018, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. They tend to be in high-tech corridors, such as Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, or in financial and commercial centers, such as Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, where 32% of adults were upper-income, led among all areas in 2016. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Although the wealth of upper-income families has more than recovered from the losses experienced during the Great Recession, the wealth of lower- and middle-income families in 2016 was comparable to 1989 levels. I completely agree with this article. Metropolitan areas may cross state boundaries, such as the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, area. In Laredo, TX, about half of adults (49%) lived in lower-income households in 2016, the highest share in the country. Lower-income households had incomes less than $48,500 and upper-income households had incomes greater than $145,500 (all figures computed for three-person households, adjusted for the cost of living in a metropolitan area, and expressed in 2018 dollars). It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Lower-income households (29% of adults) experienced an income gain of 5%, about the same as the middle class. (Incomes are adjusted for household size, scaled to reflect three-person households, and expressed in 2016 dollars.). A recent Pew Research Center analysis also found that the wealth gaps between upper-income families and lower- and middle-income families in 2016 were at the highest levels recorded. Additional details on the methodology are available in our earlier analyses. Roughly three-in-ten (29%) were in lower-income households and 19% were in upper-income households. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World. The metropolitan area cost-of-living adjustment is based on price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The income data in these surveys pertain to the preceding calendar year. The widening income gap between upper-income households and middle- and lower-income households this century is the continuation of a decades-long trend. The median income of middle-class households increased from $74,015 in 2010 to $78,442 in 2016, by 6%. About half (52%) of American adults lived in middle-class households in 2016. This is virtually unchanged from the 51% who were middle class in 2011. 500K+ is upper class. The median income of middle-class households increased from $74,015 in 2010 to $78,442 in 2016, by 6%. Additional details on the methodology are available in our earlier analyses. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax The San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metropolitan area in California is one of the most expensive areas, with a price level that was 31.6% higher than the national average. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. 2-person family middle-class income range: $37,172.94 to $110,964 3-person family middle-class income range: $42,604.63 to $127,178 4-person family middle-class income range: $52,438.89 to $156,534 See: States Where It’s Easiest To Go From Middle Class to Upper Class Upper-income households (where 19% of American adults live) fared better than the middle class, as their median income increased from $172,152 to $187,872, a gain of 9% over this period. The second part of our calculator asks you more questions about your education, age, race or ethnicity, and marital status. Psychosocial factors influencing patients’ medical help-seeking decisions may be particularly important in low and lower middle-income countries (LMIC) where cancer outcomes are poor. Income it takes to be middle class in Alabama Updated Jan 28, 2021; Posted Jan 28, 2021 How much you have to earn to be considered middle class varies from state to state. The share of adults who live in lower-income households ranges from 16% in Ogden-Clearfield to 49% in Las Cruces. 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA Lower-income households had incomes less than $45,200 and upper-income households had incomes greater than $135,600 (incomes in 2016 dollars). Lower-income adults, already under significant financial pressure, have been especially vulnerable to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted April 29-May 5, 2020. But that shift was not all down the economic ladder. This is absolutely false! Only the incomes of upper-income households increased from 2000 to 2016, from $183,680 to $187,872. 50. The median income of middle-class households was $78,442 in 2016. The income is revised upward for households that are below average in size and downward for those of above average size. Our interactive calculator lets you find out which group you are in based on your income, your household size, where you live and the cost of living in your area. About half of American households, 52%, were considered middle-class, while 29% were lower-class. Estimates may not sum to 100% due to rounding. The following example illustrates how cost-of-living adjustment for a given area was calculated: Jackson, Tennessee, is a relatively inexpensive area, with a price level in 2018 that was 19.0% less than the national average. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. The same standard is used to determine the status of households in all metropolitan areas after their incomes have been adjusted for the cost of living in the area. Pew Research Center does not store or share any of the information you enter. In their class modes the middle class only consists of an upper and lower middle class. But a household in the San Francisco area needs a reported income of about $63,800, or 31.6% more than the U.S. norm, to join the middle class. Households in less expensive areas or with less than three people need less than $48,500 to be considered middle income. The national estimates presented in the analysis encompass the U.S. adult population, including people outside of the sample of 260 metropolitan areas. Lower-income households have incomes lower than two-thirds of the median, and upper-income households have incomes that are more than double the median. (See our earlier analysis of U.S. metropolitan areas for more detail on the characteristics of these areas.). Ogden-Clearfield, UT, among the largest middle-class communities, also had the lowest share of lower-income adults (19%) in 2016. The New Class is characterized as much by self-importance as by higher income, and is far more eager to keep the proles in their place than, say, Applebaum’s small-town dentist. The survey found that 36% of lower-income adults and 28% of middle-income adults said they had lost a job or taken a pay cut due to the coronavirus outbreak, compared with 22% of upper-income adults. The share of adults who are middle class varies widely across U.S. metropolitan areas. In principle, the 2016 ACS includes income data from a total of 24 months, from January 2015 to December 2016. Upper-income households (where 19% of American adults live) fared better than the middle class, as their median income increased from $172,152 to … The middle class constitutes a slim majority of the U.S. population (52%), but that is still less than it has been in nearly half a century. But a household in Urban Honolulu needs a reported income of about $56,250, or 24.4% more than the U.S. norm, to join the middle class. “Middle-income” Americans are adults whose annual household income is two-thirds to double the national median, after incomes have been adjusted for household size. When I was in public high school, I was also in an arts magnent school for music that added to my extra-circulars. The area with the smallest share who are upper income is Lewiston-Auburn, ME (8%). The government wants people to believe that if a family of 4 makes 50K, they are middle class. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Less than a quarter of lower-income adults have "rainy day funds that could last three months, compared with 48% of middle-income adults and 75% of upper-income … Our latest analysis shows that the share of adults who live in middle-income households varies widely across the 260 metropolitan areas examined, from 39% in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to 67% in Ogden-Clearfield, Utah. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Comprehensive review evidence is needed to understand the psychosocial influences on medical help-seeking for cancer symptoms, … Estimates for earlier years are from the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements. Together, these areas accounted for 79% of the nation’s population in 2016. This analysis encompasses 260 of some 380 metropolitan areas in the United States, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Thus, to step over the national middle-class threshold of $48,500, a household in Jackson needs an income of only about $39,300, or 19.0% less than the national standard. It does not recompute your economic tier.   The total population of the middle class in the U.S. has remained fairly stable since 2010. The upper middle class, as described above, constitutes roughly 15% of the population with highly educated white collar professionals who commonly have salaries in the high-5-figure range and household incomes in the low-6-figure range. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. The American middle class is losing ground financially to upper-income families. The recent stability in the share of adults living in middle-income households marks a shift from a decades-long downward trend. The 260 metropolitan areas included are the maximum number of areas that could be identified in the Census Bureau data used for the analysis (the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, or IPUMS). Our newly updated calculator lets you find out which group you fit in, first compared with other adults in your metro area and among American adults overall, and then compared with other adults in the U.S. similar to you in education, age, race or ethnicity, and marital status. [when?] These indexes, known as Regional Price Parities, compare the prices of goods and services in a metropolitan area with the national average prices for the same goods and services. But the recovery has been slow (the slowest in modern times) and that may help explain the lack of movement of adults into upper-income households during this period. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. A metropolitan area consists of at least one urbanized area with a population of 50,000 or more people, plus neighboring areas that are socially and economically integrated with the core. The Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey was conducted from January 2016 to December 2016. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. But while the size of the nation’s middle class remained relatively stable, financial gains for middle-income Americans during this period were modest compared with those of higher-income households, causing the income disparity between the groups to grow. Thus, even as the American middle class appears not to be shrinking (for now), it continues to fall further behind upper-income households financially, mirroring the long-running rise in income inequality in the U.S. overall. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main The estimated share was highest in Sheboygan, WI, where 65% of adults lived in middle-income households in 2016, and it was the lowest in Laredo, TX, where 39% of adults were in middle-income households. In a Center survey conducted in April 2020, only 23% of lower-income adults said they had rainy day funds that could last three months, compared with 48% of middle-income adults and 75% of upper-income adults. Lower-income households had incomes less than $48,500 and upper-income households had incomes greater than $145,500 (incomes in 2018 dollars). The 10 areas with the highest concentrations of middle class adults are located in the Midwest or the Northeast, with the exception of Ogden-Clearfield, UT.