According to the Pew Research Center, the income range of the “middle class” is defined as two-thirds to twice the median household income in the United States. With the same income, some cities in the United States offer a prosperous middle-class lifestyle with homes and cars, while in other cities, it may only be enough to rent a place to live.
Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2022, the median household income in the United States was $74,755, adjusted for inflation, a decrease of 0.8% from the previous year. In the 25 most populous cities in the United States, the median household income varies from $128,151 in the San Francisco metropolitan area to $69,290 in the Tampa metropolitan area. Between 2021 and 2022, the actual median household income in the Miami metropolitan area increased, while cities like Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Seattle saw a decrease in median household income. The remaining 16 metropolitan areas showed no significant statistical changes between 2021 and 2022.
In the San Francisco metropolitan area, to be considered middle class, the income range is between $85,434 and $256,302. Three other metropolitan areas in the United States where the high end of middle-class household income reaches $200,000 are Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Boston. The median annual household income in these metropolitan areas all exceeds $100,000. While some may consider an income exceeding $200,000 as belonging to the upper class, in cities like San Francisco, it is still considered middle-class.
San Francisco is located in the heart of the U.S. high-tech hub, Silicon Valley, with many tech giants and high-paying employees. Seattle and Boston also boast numerous tech companies, while many in Washington, D.C., are high-earning lawyers, politicians, and consultants.
Listed below are the income ranges for the middle class in the 25 most populous cities, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau:
– Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia: $57,000–$170,000
– Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Maryland: $60,000–$181,000
– Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Massachusetts-New Hampshire: $70,000–$209,000
– Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, North Carolina-South Carolina: $51,000–$154,000
– Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Illinois: $55,000–$166,000
– Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas: $55,000–$166,000
– Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado: $66,000–$198,000
– Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan: $48,000–$143,000
– Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas: $50,000–$150,000
– Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California: $58,000–$175,000
– Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida: $47,000–$142,000
– Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota-Wisconsin: $61,000–$183,000
– New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania: $61,000–$183,000
– Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida: $48,000–$144,000
– Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland: $56,000–$168,000
– Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona: $55,000–$166,000
– Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Oregon-Washington: $60,000–$179,000
– Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California: $55,000–$166,000
– San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas: $47,000–$141,000
– San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California: $66,000–$198,000
– San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California: $85,000–$256,000
– Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington: $71,000–$214,000
– St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois: $50,000–$149,000
– Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida: $46,000–$139,000
– Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia: $78,000–$235,000