In the United States, if the middle class is considered as “just enough to get by, but having some leftover,” then the upper-middle class is even closer to being wealthy. In most states, a household income exceeding $110,000 is not considered wealthy, but is sufficient to be classified as “upper-middle class.”
According to an analysis conducted by GOBankingRates using the 2023 U.S. Census data, the median household income of the upper-middle class in the United States ranges between $117,000 and $150,000.
This analysis adopts the Pew Research Center’s definition of the middle class: household income ranging from two-thirds to twice the state median. GOBankingRates further defines the top third of this bracket as the “upper-middle class.”
There are significant differences in income thresholds across states. For instance, in Maryland, due to its proximity to Washington D.C. and a concentration of high-income government employees, the income range for the upper-middle class is between $158,125 and $203,304. In contrast, Mississippi has the lowest range in the nation at $85,423 to $109,830.
Below are the income thresholds for the “upper-middle class” in each state along with their corresponding median household incomes (listed alphabetically and in U.S. dollars):
(Information sourced from CNBC report)