A Six-Figure Income Is ‘Lower-Middle Class’ in These High-Cost Cities

A six-figure income may be enough to live comfortably in some places, but this amount is considered lower-middle class in 50 popular cities with high cost of living. This is especially pronounced in three major Silicon Valley hubs in Northern California.

GOBankingRates referred to the Pew Research Center’s definition of middle class as two-thirds to double the median household income to determine the cities where a six-figure income is considered lower-middle class.

Key factors for cities with at least 100,000 total population, including the median household income and livability index, were factored in, and the middle-class income range was calculated and divided into thirds to find the lower-middle class income range.

• A six-figure income is considered lower-middle class in 26 California cities. The minimum lower-middle class income is $115,000 in the top three: Sunnyvale, Fremont and Santa Clara.
• A six-figure income is lower-middle class in 28 West Coast cities, the most out of any U.S. region. Those cities are Sunnyvale (#1), Fremont (#2), Santa Clara (#3), Bellevue (#4), San Mateo (#6), San Jose (#9), San Francisco (#10), Carlsbad (#12), Thousand Oaks (#15), Irvine (#16), Elk Grove (#23), Seattle (#24), Santa Clarita (#27), Huntington Beach (#28), Daly City (#30), Temecula (#31), Simi Valley (#32), Roseville (#33), Orange (#34), Hayward (#35), Torrance (#38), Costa Mesa (#41), Murrieta (#42), Rancho Cucamonga (#43), Concord (#44), Vacaville (#46), Berkeley (#47) and Corona (#50).
• No Florida cities ranked in the top 50.

Here are the 50 high-cost cities where a six-figure income is considered lower-middle class, ranked from highest median household income.

Plus, see what lower-middle class paychecks would look like in every state if President Donald Trump were to end the federal income tax.

• Median household income: $181,862
• Annual cost of living: $177,385
• Livability: 82
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $121,241
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $202,069

• Median household income: $176,350
• Annual cost of living: $132,768
• Livability: 83
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $117,567
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $195,944

• Median household income: $173,670
• Annual cost of living: $146,546
• Livability: 76
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $115,780
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $192,967

• Median household income: $161,300
• Annual cost of living: $136,890
• Livability: 87
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $107,533
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $179,222

• Median household income: $155,847
• Annual cost of living: $71,989
• Livability: 69
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $103,898
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $173,163

• Median household income: $152,669
• Annual cost of living: $149,931
• Livability: 79
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $101,779
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $169,632

• Median household income: $150,937
• Annual cost of living: $67,955 
• Livability: 83
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $100,625
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $167,708

• Median household income: $146,158
• Annual cost of living: $67,616
• Livability: 78
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $97,439
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $162,398

• Median household income: $141,565
• Annual cost of living: $128,258
• Livability: 79
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $94,377
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $157,294

• Median household income: $141,446
• Annual cost of living: $122,380
• Livability: 75
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $94,297
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $157,162

• Median household income: $140,160
• Annual cost of living: $99,273
• Livability: 86
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $93,440
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $155,733

• Median household income: $139,326
• Annual cost of living: $112,773
• Livability: 78
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $92,884
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $154,807

• Median household income: $137,511
• Annual cost of living: $55,456
• Livability: 80
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $91,674
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $152,790

• Median household income: $134,602
• Annual cost of living: $60,832
• Livability: 83
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $89,735
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $149,558

• Median household income: $134,367
• Annual cost of living: $97,874
• Livability: 71
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $89,578
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $149,297

• Median household income: $129,647
• Annual cost of living: $146,594
• Livability: 76
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $86,431
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $144,052

• Median household income: $129,399
• Annual cost of living: $64,974
• Livability: 90
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $86,266
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $143,777

• Median household income: $129,173
• Annual cost of living: $61,393
• Livability: 79
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $86,115
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $143,526

• Median household income: $129,130
• Annual cost of living: $55,935
• Livability: 77
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $86,087
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $143,478

• Median household income: $128,167
• Annual cost of living: $68,388
• Livability: 80
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $85,445
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $142,408

• Median household income: $128,141
• Annual cost of living: $53,737
• Livability: 82
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $85,427
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $142,379

• Median household income: $126,469
• Annual cost of living: $140,232
• Livability: 86
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $84,313
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $140,521

• Median household income: $122,229
• Annual cost of living: $69,388
• Livability: 73
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $81,486
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $135,810

• Median household income: $121,984
• Annual cost of living: $86,821
• Livability: 75
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $81,323
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $135,538

• Median household income: $121,351
• Annual cost of living: $63,124
• Livability: 89
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $80,901
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $134,834

• Median household income: $120,273
• Annual cost of living: $56,300
• Livability: 74
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $80,182
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $133,637

• Median household income: $119,926
• Annual cost of living: $81,613
• Livability: 70
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $79,951
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $133,251

• Median household income: $119,885
• Annual cost of living: $118,377
• Livability: 67
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $79,923
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $133,206

• Median household income: $119,870
• Annual cost of living: $48,300
• Livability: 76
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $79,913
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $133,189

• Median household income: $119,570
• Annual cost of living: $102,929
• Livability: 81
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $79,713
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $132,856

• Median household income: $117,840
• Annual cost of living: $78,556
• Livability: 71
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $78,560
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $130,933

• Median household income: $117,703
• Annual cost of living: $83,035
• Livability: 64
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $78,469
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $130,781

• Median household income: $117,354
• Annual cost of living: $69,014
• Livability: 78
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $78,236
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $130,393

• Median household income: $116,945
• Annual cost of living: $101,841
• Livability: 71
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $77,963
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $129,939

• Median household income: $113,775
• Annual cost of living: $84,372
• Livability: 76
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $75,850
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $126,417

• Median household income: $113,638
• Annual cost of living: $78,826
• Livability: 83
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $75,759
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $126,264

• Median household income: $113,396
• Annual cost of living: $66,188
• Livability: 85
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $75,597
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $125,996

• Median household income: $113,105
• Annual cost of living: $107,536
• Livability: 77
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $75,403
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $125,672

• Median household income: $112,470
• Annual cost of living: $50,519
• Livability: 81
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $74,980
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $124,967

• Median household income: $112,232
• Annual cost of living: $51,468
• Livability: 78
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $74,821
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $124,702

• Median household income: $110,073
• Annual cost of living: $118,096
• Livability: 62
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $73,382
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $122,303

• Median household income: $109,780
• Annual cost of living: $71,304
• Livability: 69
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $73,187
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $121,978

• Median household income: $109,511
• Annual cost of living: $79,623
• Livability: 69
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $73,007
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $121,679

• Median household income: $109,195
• Annual cost of living: $78,665
• Livability: 64
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $72,797
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $121,328

• Median household income: $108,649
• Annual cost of living: $57,144
• Livability: 83
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $72,433
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $120,721

• Median household income: $108,580
• Annual cost of living: $66,863
• Livability: 79
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $72,387
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $120,644

• Median household income: $108,558
• Annual cost of living: $121,564
• Livability: 78
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $72,372
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $120,620

• Median household income: $107,474
• Annual cost of living: $86,302
• Livability: 70
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $71,649
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $119,416

• Median household income: $107,372
• Annual cost of living: $87,191
• Livability: 82
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $71,581
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $119,302

• Median household income: $106,438
• Annual cost of living: $79,158
• Livability: 63
• Minimum lower-middle class income: $70,959
• Maximum lower-middle class income: $118,264

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Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.

Methodology: GOBankingRates identified cities with at least 100,000 population as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Pew Research Center defines the middle class as two-thirds to double the median household income. The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and the national average expenditure costs for all households were sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. The cost of living also included the average mortgage, calculated using data from Zillow Home Value Index and the Federal Reserve. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes. GOBankingRates calculated the entire middle-class income range then divided it into thirds to find the lower-, middle- and upper-middle class income ranges. The cities were then sorted to show the highest household income range first. All data is up to date as of Nov. 3, 2025.