How much you have to earn to be considered middle class in the biggest US cities
In a 2016 report, Pew Research Center details exactly how much you need to earn to qualify as middle class. (Though income is just one part of class, it's a crucial element and one that's easy to measure and track.) Here's the national middle-income range for various household sizes:
Household of one: $24,042 to $72,126
Household of three: $41,641 to $124,925
Household of five: $53,759 to $161,277
However, the middle-income range varies depending on where you live, Pew notes: "Because the prices of goods and services in a metropolitan area are typically different from the prices nationally, it is necessary to adjust household incomes in each area for that difference in the cost of living. By this process, the incomes of households in relatively expensive areas are adjusted downward and the incomes of households in relatively cheaper areas are adjusted upward."
Pew provided CNBC with the middle-income range across more than 200 metro areas. Below, we've highlighted how much you have to earn each year to be considered middle class in some of the largest US cities:
Boston, Massachusetts
Household of one: $26,663 to $79,987
Household of three: $46,180 to $138,541
Household of five: $59,619 to $178,855
Memphis, Tennessee
Household of one: $22,143 to $66,427
Household of three: $38,351 to $115,055
Household of five: $49,512 to $148,535
Washington, D.C.
Household of one: $28,802 to $86,406
Household of three: $49,886 to $149,659
Household of five: $64,403 to $193,209
Denver, Colorado
Household of one: $25,196 to $75,587
Household of three: $43,640 to $130,920
Household of five: $56,339 to $169,017
Seattle, Washington
Household of one: $25,749 to $77,246
Household of three: $44,598 to $133,794
Household of five: $57,576 to $172,727
El Paso, Texas
Household of one: $21,854 to $65,562
Household of three: $37,852 to $113,556
Household of five: $48,867 to $146,600
Detroit, Michigan
Household of one: $23,441 to $70,322
Household of three: $40,600 to $121,801
Household of five: $52,415 to $157,244
Charlotte, North Carolina
Household of one: $22,455 to $67,365
Household of three: $38,893 to $116,679
Household of five: $50,211 to $150,632
Fort Worth, Texas
Household of one: $24,234 to $72,702
Household of three: $41,974 to $125,923
Household of five: $54,189 to $162,566
Columbus, Ohio
Household of one: $22,479 to $67,437
Household of three: $38,934 to $116,804
Household of five: $50,265 to $150,793
San Francisco, California
Household of one: $28,923 to $86,766
Household of three: $50,094 to $150,284
Household of five: $64,672 to $194,015
Indianapolis, Indiana
Household of one: $22,503 to $67,509
Household of three: $38,976 to $116,929
Household of five: $50,318 to $150,954
Jacksonville, Florida
Household of one: $23,104 to $69,312
Household of three: $40,017 to $120,052
Household of five: $51,662 to $154,986
Austin, Texas
Household of one: $23,729 to $71,187
Household of three: $41,100 to $123,300
Household of five: $53,060 to $159,179
San Jose, California
Household of one: $29,163 to $87,488
Household of three: $50,511 to $151,533
Household of five: $65,210 to $195,628
Dallas, Texas
Household of one: $24,234 to $72,702
Household of three: $41,974 to $125,923
Household of five: $54,189 to $162,566
San Diego, California
Household of one: $28,273 to $84,819
Household of three: $48,970 to $146,911
Household of five: $63,221 to $189,661
San Antonio, Texas
Household of one: $22,624 to $67,870
Household of three: $39,184 to $117,553
Household of five: $50,587 to $151,761
Phoenix, Arizona
Household of one: $23,705 to $71,115
Household of three: $41,058 to $123,175
Household of five: $53,006 to $159,018
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Household of one: $25,941 to $77,823
Household of three: $44,931 to $134,793
Household of five: $58,006 to $174,017
Houston, Texas
Household of one: $24,186 to $72,558
Household of three: $41,891 to $125,674
Household of five: $54,082 to $162,244
Chicago, Illinois
Household of one: $25,629 to $76,885
Household of three: $44,389 to $133,169
Household of five: $57,307 to $171,920
Los Angeles, California
Household of one: $28,297 to $84,891
Household of three: $49,011 to $147,036
Household of five: $63,274 to $189,822
New York, New York
Household of one: $29,403 to $88,209
Household of three: $50,927 to $152,782
Household of five: $65,747 to $197,241
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