Here’s the Salary Needed To Be Middle Class vs. the Salary Needed for the American Dream in Every State

With rising cost of living, inflation and tariff costs (along with struggling employment levels), is the middle class still capable of attaining the American dream?

To answer such a question, GOBankingRates united two separate studies — one that determined the middle-class income range in each state and one that determined the cost of the American dream on a state-by-state basis — into a single analysis.

The American dream was defined as a married couple with a home and an annual mortgage with a 20% down payment, two children, a car and a pet. Associated costs included utility bills, education, healthcare expenses and the price of child care. All annual costs were then doubled, creating a viable estimate of what a comfortable American dream could cost in each of the 50 states.

Compared against those dream figures for each state were the income ranges for a family of four (two parents, two children). By comparing the data, GOBankingRates discovered that the American dream technically is still attainable by the middle class in every state in the country, but with some caveats. Specifically, in nearly every state, GOBankingRates found that only those on the upper end of the middle-class income range could afford the true costs of the American dream.

The bottom line: The good life is still a possibility in America, but it comes at an ever-increasing cost.

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $65,800 to $197,400
• True cost of the American Dream: $111,534

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $85,767 to $257,300
• True cost of the American Dream: $195,120

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $71,989 to $215,966
• True cost of the American Dream: $156,394

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $60,187 to $180,560
• True cost of the American Dream: $111,758

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $85,429 to $256,288
• True cost of the American Dream: $209,767

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $92,507 to $277,520
• True cost of the American Dream: $180,766

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $102,061 to $306,182
• True cost of the American Dream: $180,799

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $84,066 to $252,198
• True cost of the American Dream: $153,910

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $68,709 to $206,126
• True cost of the American Dream: $143,700

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $73,824 to $221,472
• True cost of the American Dream: $134,993

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $89,619 to $268,856
• True cost of the American Dream: $238,680

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $70,162 to $210,486
• True cost of the American Dream: $135,607

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $85,427 to $256,280
• True cost of the American Dream: $143,153

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $71,703 to $215,110
• True cost of the American Dream: $133,155

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,540 to $235,620
• True cost of the American Dream: $118,611

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $75,279 to $225,838
• True cost of the American Dream: $115,895

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $67,283 to $201,848
• True cost of the American Dream: $116,613

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $65,425 to $196,274
• True cost of the American Dream: $113,783

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,710 to $236,130
• True cost of the American Dream: $151,734

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $102,745 to $308,234
• True cost of the American Dream: $168,005

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $110,637 to $331,910
• True cost of the American Dream: $217,722

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,029 to $234,086
• True cost of the American Dream: $122,509

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $95,999 to $287,996
• True cost of the American Dream: $173,697

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $57,139 to $171,416
• True cost of the American Dream: $104,948

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $72,819 to $218,458
• True cost of the American Dream: $129,476

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $72,051 to $216,154
• True cost of the American Dream: $149,164

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,775 to $236,324
• True cost of the American Dream: $137,818

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $67,121 to $201,362
• True cost of the American Dream: $161,922

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $101,720 to $305,160
• True cost of the American Dream: $170,862

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $106,851 to $320,552
• True cost of the American Dream: $182,445

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $58,531 to $175,592
• True cost of the American Dream: $135,259

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $89,073 to $267,218
• True cost of the American Dream: $170,669

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $72,922 to $218,766
• True cost of the American Dream: $130,518

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $86,607 to $259,822
• True cost of the American Dream: $132,340

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $76,395 to $229,186
• True cost of the American Dream: $145,533

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $62,625 to $187,874
• True cost of the American Dream: $127,100

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $82,018 to $246,054
• True cost of the American Dream: $174,662

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $83,783 to $251,348
• True cost of the American Dream: $138,994

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $90,283 to $270,848
• True cost of the American Dream: $169,838

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $68,361 to $205,084
• True cost of the American Dream: $132,681

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $74,122 to $222,366
• True cost of the American Dream: $121,181

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $68,490 to $205,470
• True cost of the American Dream: $127,028

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $72,189 to $216,568
• True cost of the American Dream: $129,026

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,445 to $235,334
• True cost of the American Dream: $149,873

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $87,769 to $263,308
• True cost of the American Dream: $175,818

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $92,778 to $278,334
• True cost of the American Dream: $147,055

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $92,875 to $278,626
• True cost of the American Dream: $188,264

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $62,931 to $188,792
• True cost of the American Dream: $117,788

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $82,099 to $246,296
• True cost of the American Dream: $154,655

• 4-person family middle-class income range: $76,558 to $229,674
• True cost of the American Dream: $128,406

Methodology: GOBankingRates found how much the middle class earns in every state by analyzing the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey 5-year data. For this study, GOBankingRates assumed that a middle-class family earns two-thirds to double the median income for a family of its size in its state. In order to find out how much a middle-class family is earning, GOBankingRates multiplied each median income by 0.6666667 for the lower limit and by 2 for the upper limit. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 2, 2025. … The American dream for this study is defined as a married couple who own a home and a car, have two children and a pet. The data was sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index, the Federal Reserve, ASPCA’s Annual Pet Costs, the Economic Policy Institute’s Childcare Costs by State. Using the 50/30/20 financial rule that states needs should not exceed 50% of household income, the total cost of living was doubled to find the income needed to live the American Dream. All data is up to date as of April 17, 2025.