The Income Considered Lower-Middle Class in Every State

Does your annual salary place you among the lower-middle class? It depends on the state you live in, according to GOBankingRates data. The minimum income threshold for the lower-middle class in states with high cost of living, such as Massachusetts and Hawaii, is around double the amount required in less expensive states such as West Virginia and Mississippi.

To rank each state from highest to lowest income required to be considered lower-middle class, GOBankingRates’ research team analyzed each state’s total population, total households and household median income. With the definition of middle class being two-thirds to double the household median income (as sourced from Pew Research), the middle-class income range was calculated and broken into thirds for each state: lower-middle class, middle-middle class and upper-middle class.

• Maryland ranks first for the highest income required to be lower-middle class. The Free State outranked competing high cost-of-living of states like California, Hawaii and New York with its minimum income of $67,768.
• Maryland aside, the top five states with the highest minimum income requirements for the lower-middle class threshold are Massachusetts ($67,561), New Jersey ($67,367), Hawaii ($65,545) and California ($64,223).
• The five states where the lower-middle class made the least are Alabama ($41,351), Louisiana ($40,015), Arkansas ($39,182), West Virginia ($38,611) and Mississippi ($36,610).

Keep reading to see the income required to be considered lower-middle class in every state.

• Household median income: $101,652
• Single family home average value: $430,192
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $67,768
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $112,947

• Household median income: $101,341
• Single family home average value: $642,213
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $67,561
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $112,601

• Household median income: $101,050
• Single family home average value: $558,134
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $67,367
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $112,278

• Household median income: $98,317
• Single family home average value: $967,396
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $65,545
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $109,241

• Household median income: $96,334
• Single family home average value: $793,150
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $64,223
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $107,038

• Household median income: $95,628
• Single family home average value: $495,860
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $63,752
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $106,253

• Household median income: $94,952
• Single family home average value: $603,927
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $63,301
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $105,502

• Household median income: $93,760
• Single family home average value: $429,793
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $62,507
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $104,178

• Household median income: $92,470
• Single family home average value: $552,897
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $61,647
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $102,744

• Household median income: $91,750
• Single family home average value: $528,156
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $61,167
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $101,944

• Household median income: $90,974
• Single family home average value: $398,259
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $60,649
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $101,082

• Household median income: $89,336
• Single family home average value: $379,622
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $59,557
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $99,262

• Household median income: $87,556
• Single family home average value: $335,238
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $58,371
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $97,284

• Household median income: $86,372
• Single family home average value: $474,431
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $57,581
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $95,969

• Household median income: $84,578
• Single family home average value: $455,344
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $56,385
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $93,976

• Household median income: $82,855
• Single family home average value: $380,485
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $55,237
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $92,061

• Household median income: $81,702
• Single family home average value: $270,708
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $54,468
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $90,780

• Household median income: $80,426
• Single family home average value: $498,760
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $53,617
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $89,362

• Household median income: $78,024
• Single family home average value: $388,319
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $52,016
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $86,693

• Household median income: $76,872
• Single family home average value: $433,746
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $51,248
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $85,413

• Household median income: $76,292
• Single family home average value: $299,948
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $50,861
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $84,769

• Household median income: $76,081
• Single family home average value: $266,221
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $50,721
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $84,534

• Household median income: $75,949
• Single family home average value: $268,912
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $50,633
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $84,388

• Household median income: $75,670
• Single family home average value: $307,398
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $50,447
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $84,078

• Household median income: $75,561
• Single family home average value: $458,436
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $50,374
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $83,957

• Household median income: $74,985
• Single family home average value: $257,397
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $49,990
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $83,317

• Household median income: $74,815
• Single family home average value: $349,235
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $49,877
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $83,128

• Household median income: $74,664
• Single family home average value: $326,933
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $49,776
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $82,960

• Household median income: $74,636
• Single family home average value: $452,207
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $49,757
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $82,929

• Household median income: $73,147
• Single family home average value: $218,773
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $48,765
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $81,274

• Household median income: $72,639
• Single family home average value: $225,396
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $48,426
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $80,710

• Household median income: $72,421
• Single family home average value: $302,023
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $48,281
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $80,468

• Household median income: $71,773
• Single family home average value: $387,588
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $47,849
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $79,748

• Household median income: $71,711
• Single family home average value: $404,924
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $47,807
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $79,679

• Household median income: $71,149
• Single family home average value: $239,674
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $47,433
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $79,054

• Household median income: $70,051
• Single family home average value: $238,281
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $46,701
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $77,834

• Household median income: $69,922
• Single family home average value: $450,056
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $46,615
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $77,691

• Household median income: $69,904
• Single family home average value: $328,226
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $46,603
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $77,671

• Household median income: $69,680
• Single family home average value: $229,027
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $46,453
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $77,422

• Household median income: $68,920
• Single family home average value: $246,692
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $45,947
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $76,578

• Household median income: $67,097
• Single family home average value: $318,006
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $44,731
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $74,552

• Household median income: $66,818
• Single family home average value: $296,068
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $44,545
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $74,242

• Household median income: $63,603
• Single family home average value: $205,311
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $42,402
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $70,670

• Household median income: $62,417
• Single family home average value: $208,745
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $41,611
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $69,352

• Household median income: $62,125
• Single family home average value: $302,570
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $41,417
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $69,028

• Household median income: $62,027
• Single family home average value: $222,475
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $41,351
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $68,919

• Household median income: $60,023
• Single family home average value: $198,094
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $40,015
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $66,692

• Household median income: $58,773
• Single family home average value: $208,734
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $39,182
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $65,303

• Household median income: $57,917
• Single family home average value: $163,193
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $38,611
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $64,352

• Household median income: $54,915
• Single family home average value: $176,933
• Minimum income for lower-middle class: $36,610
• Maximum income for lower-middle class: $61,017

Methodology: GOBankingRates analyzed each state using the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Using the definition of middle class from Pew Research, two-thirds to double the household median income, the middle-class income range was calculated. Breaking the middle class into thirds, the lower-middle class, middle-middle class and upper-middle class were calculated for each state. The states were sorted to show the highest to lowest income required to be considered lower-middle class. All the data was collected on and is up to date as of April 10, 2025.