How Much You Need To Earn To Be Upper Middle Class in Every State

How do you know if you’re lower class, middle class, upper class or somewhere in between? Well, it depends on who you ask, but a good definition of middle class is “those with an income that is two-thirds to double the median income of an area” — that’s the definition provided by the Pew Research Center.

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As for what it means to be upper middle class, for the purposes of this study, GOBankingRates defined “upper middle class” as the top 20% of earners in the middle-class range. Because the median household income varies so greatly from state to state, the income needed to achieve this designation varies greatly depending on where you live. In Mississippi, a household income of $91,841 will land you in the upper middle class, but in Maryland, you would need a household income of $170,666 to earn this distinction.

Here’s the household income you need to be considered upper middle class in every state.

Also see what income is considered middle class in each state.

Alabama

• Median household income: $59,609

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $103,322

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Alaska

• Median household income: $86,370

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $149,708

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Arizona

• Median household income: $72,581

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $125,807

Arkansas

• Median household income: $56,335

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $97,647

California

• Median household income: $91,905

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $159,302

Colorado

• Median household income: $87,598

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $151,837

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Connecticut

• Median household income: $90,213

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $156,369

Delaware

• Median household income: $79,325

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $137,497

Florida

• Median household income: $67,917

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $117,723

Georgia

• Median household income: $71,355

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $123,682

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Hawaii

• Median household income: $94,814

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $164,344

Idaho

• Median household income: $70,214

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $121,704

Illinois

• Median household income: $78,433

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $135,951

Indiana

• Median household income: $67,173

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $116,433

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Iowa

• Median household income: $70,571

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $122,323

Kansas

• Median household income: $69,747

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $120,895

Kentucky

• Median household income: $60,183

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $104,317

Louisiana

• Median household income: $57,852

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $100,277

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Maine

• Median household income: $68,251

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $118,302

Maryland

• Median household income: $98,461

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $170,666

Massachusetts

• Median household income: $96,505

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $167,275

Michigan

• Median household income: $68,505

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $118,742

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Minnesota

• Median household income: $84,313

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $146,143

Mississippi

• Median household income: $52,985

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $91,841

Missouri

• Median household income: $65,920

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $114,261

Montana

• Median household income: $66,341

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $114,991

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Nebraska

• Median household income: $71,722

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $124,318

Nevada

• Median household income: $71,646

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $124,186

New Hampshire

• Median household income: $90,845

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $157,465

New Jersey

• Median household income: $97,126

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $168,352

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New Mexico

• Median household income: $58,722

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $101,785

New York

• Median household income: $81,386

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $141,069

North Carolina

• Median household income: $66,186

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $114,722

North Dakota

• Median household income: $73,959

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $128,196

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Ohio

• Median household income: $66,990

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $116,116

Oklahoma

• Median household income: $61,364

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $106,364

Oregon

• Median household income: $76,632

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $132,829

Pennsylvania

• Median household income: $73,170

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $126,828

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Rhode Island

• Median household income: $81,370

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $141,041

South Carolina

• Median household income: $63,623

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $110,280

South Dakota

• Median household income: $69,457

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $120,392

Tennessee

• Median household income: $64,035

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $110,994

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Texas

• Median household income: $73,035

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $126,594

Utah

• Median household income: $86,833

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $150,511

Vermont

• Median household income: $74,014

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $128,291

Virginia

• Median household income: $87,249

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $151,232

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Washington

• Median household income: $90,325

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $156,563

West Virginia

• Median household income: $55,217

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $95,709

Wisconsin

• Median household income: $72,458

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $125,594

Wyoming

• Median household income: $72,495

• Upper middle class household income threshold: $125,658

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates first found 1) the median household income for each state as sourced from the 2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. With these figures isolated, GOBankingRates then found 2) each state’s middle-class income range, defined by Pew Research as “those with an income that is two-thirds to double the median income of an area.” With the middle-class income range of each state found, GOBankingRates determined the 3) income threshold a household would need to be considered upper middle class, which was defined as the top 20% of earners in the middle-class range. All data was collected and is up to date as of Dec. 12, 2023.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much You Need To Earn To Be Upper Middle Class in Every State