The amount of money you bring home annually could place you somewhere between the lowest to highest end of earnings accrued by members of the upper-middle class, depending on where you live in the U.S.
The personal finance website GOBankingRates was able to determine what the upper-middle-class income ranges look like in every state by sourcing each state’s median household income from the 2023 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Each state’s upper-middle-class income range was found after finding the total middle-class income range in every state, defined as “those with an income that is two-thirds to double the median income of an area.”
- Related article: Want to Take Home $100K After Taxes? Here’s How Much You Need to Earn
- Related article: How Much Do the Top 1% Pay in Taxes in Each State?
Key findings of GOBankingRates’ analysis include:
- Mississippi ranked as the most affordable state to be a member of the upper-middle class. Your income would need to start at $85,424, with the highest end extending to $109,830.
- Maryland beat out high cost-of-living states like Hawaii and California as the state where you’d need the most income to be upper-middle class. The lowest end starts at $158,126 in Maryland.
- If you don’t earn a six-figure income but make at least $85,424 annually, you’re still considered to be a member of the upper-middle class in eight states: Oklahoma, Kentucky, New Mexico, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi.
- Median household incomes are still under six figures in 47 states. The only states where the median household income starts at $100,000 or more are Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
Below is the full data table provided by GoBankingRates showing how much you need to earn to be upper-middle class in every state and the District of Columbia.
| Rank | State | Minimum Upper Middle-Class Income | Maximum Upper Middle-Class Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | $85,424 | $109,830 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $90,094 | $115,834 |
| 3 | Arkansas | $91,426 | $117,546 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $93,370 | $120,046 |
| 5 | Alabama | $96,487 | $124,054 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $96,640 | $124,250 |
| 7 | Kentucky | $97,094 | $124,834 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $98,939 | $127,206 |
| 9 | South Carolina | $103,940 | $133,636 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $104,374 | $134,194 |
| 11 | Missouri | $107,210 | $137,840 |
| 12 | Ohio | $108,392 | $139,360 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $108,741 | $139,808 |
| 14 | Montana | $108,769 | $139,844 |
| 15 | Indiana | $108,969 | $140,102 |
| 16 | Michigan | $110,677 | $142,298 |
| 17 | Florida | $111,551 | $143,422 |
| 18 | Maine | $111,648 | $143,546 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $112,656 | $144,842 |
| 20 | Kansas | $112,995 | $145,278 |
| 21 | Iowa | $113,785 | $146,294 |
| 22 | Idaho | $116,101 | $149,272 |
| 23 | Georgia | $116,145 | $149,328 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $116,380 | $149,630 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $116,644 | $149,970 |
| 26 | Nevada | $117,540 | $151,122 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $117,710 | $151,340 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $118,144 | $151,898 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $118,349 | $152,162 |
| 30 | Texas | $118,677 | $152,584 |
| 31 | Arizona | $119,580 | $153,744 |
| 32 | Vermont | $121,372 | $156,048 |
| 33 | Oregon | $125,108 | $160,852 |
| 34 | Illinois | $127,093 | $163,404 |
| 35 | Delaware | $128,887 | $165,710 |
| 36 | New York | $131,567 | $169,156 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $134,357 | $172,744 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $136,199 | $175,112 |
| 39 | Alaska | $138,968 | $178,672 |
| 40 | Virginia | $141,516 | $181,948 |
| 41 | Utah | $142,723 | $183,500 |
| 42 | Colorado | $143,843 | $184,940 |
| 43 | Connecticut | $145,850 | $187,520 |
| 44 | Washington | $147,704 | $189,904 |
| 45 | New Hampshire | $148,756 | $191,256 |
| 46 | California | $149,854 | $192,668 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $152,939 | $196,634 |
| 48 | New Jersey | $157,190 | $202,100 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | $157,643 | $202,682 |
| 50 | Maryland | $158,126 | $203,304 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | $165,336 | $212,574 |
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Tags: Payroll, salaries, salary, upper-middle class
