40 Cities Where a $125K Income Isn’t Enough To Qualify as Middle Class

An annual income of $100,000 was once a gold standard of sorts. If you were making “six figures,” you had financially arrived. You were rich — or at least on solid economic ground.

These days, there are dozens of U.S. cities in which an annual income of $125,000 isn’t even enough to qualify for a spot in the middle class — much less upper middle, upper or filthy rich.

There are different definitions of “middle class,” with varying lower and upper limits of annual income. Experts often use thresholds of two-thirds to double the annual income for your area. For example, if the median annual income where you live is $100,000, you qualify as middle class if you make between $67,000 and $200,000 a year.

Using that standard and the 2022 American Community Survey, GOBankingRates has created a list of 40 places in the U.S. where even $125,000 a year won’t qualify you for the middle class. To be included in the study, cities had to have a minimum of 5,000 households. The full methodology is included at the end of the story.

California tends to dominate lists like this, and this one is no exception. Sixteen of the 40 cities here are located in the Golden State. Virginia is next up with six. Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Texas each have three cities on the list.

Here is the list, ranked in order of highest median household income to lowest. For each city, the lowest annual income needed and the upper limit to qualify as middle class are included.

• Median household income: $246,563
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $164,375
• Highest income to be middle class: $493,126

• Median household income: $237,730
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $158,487
• Highest income to be middle class: $475,460

• Median household income: $234,750
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $156,500
• Highest income to be middle class: $469,500

• Median household income: $227,565
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $151,710
• Highest income to be middle class: $455,130

• Median household income: $224,766
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $149,844
• Highest income to be middle class: $449,532

• Median household income: $223,667
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $149,111
• Highest income to be middle class: $447,334

• Median household income: $221,333
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $147,555
• Highest income to be middle class: $442,666

• Median household income: $219,413
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $146,275
• Highest income to be middle class: $438,826

• Median household income: $219,250
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $146,167
• Highest income to be middle class: $438,500

• Median household income: $218,710
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $145,807
• Highest income to be middle class: $437,420

• Median household income: $215,636
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $143,757
• Highest income to be middle class: $431,272

• Median household income: $215,556
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $143,704
• Highest income to be middle class: $431,112

• Median household income: $215,047
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $143,365
• Highest income to be middle class: $430,094

• Median household income: $214,118
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $142,745
• Highest income to be middle class: $428,236

• Median household income: $211,224
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $140,816
• Highest income to be middle class: $422,448

• Median household income: $210,625
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $140,417
• Highest income to be middle class: $421,250

• Median household income: $209,518
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $139,679
• Highest income to be middle class: $419,036

• Median household income: $209,442
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $139,628
• Highest income to be middle class: $418,884

• Median household income: $209,217
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $139,478
• Highest income to be middle class: $418,434

• Median household income: $209,135
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $139,423
• Highest income to be middle class: $418,270

• Median household income: $208,531
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $139,021
• Highest income to be middle class: $417,062

• Median household income: $207,652
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $138,435
• Highest income to be middle class: $415,304

• Median household income: $206,323
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $137,549
• Highest income to be middle class: $412,646

• Median household income: $206,261
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $137,507
• Highest income to be middle class: $412,522

• Median household income: $204,883
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $136,589
• Highest income to be middle class: $409,766

• Median household income: $203,235
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $135,490
• Highest income to be middle class: $406,470

• Median household income: $202,986
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $135,324
• Highest income to be middle class: $405,972

• Median household income: $202,153
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $134,769
• Highest income to be middle class: $404,306

• Median household income: $198,273
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $132,182
• Highest income to be middle class: $396,546

• Median household income: $198,117
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $132,078
• Highest income to be middle class: $396,234

• Median household income: $196,298
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $130,865
• Highest income to be middle class: $392,596

• Median household income: $193,707
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $129,138
• Highest income to be middle class: $387,414

• Median household income: $191,267
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $127,511
• Highest income to be middle class: $382,534

• Median household income: $191,039
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $127,359
• Highest income to be middle class: $382,078

• Median household income: $190,985
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $127,323
• Highest income to be middle class: $381,970

• Median household income: $190,829
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $127,219
• Highest income to be middle class: $381,658

• Median household income: $190,824
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $127,216
• Highest income to be middle class: $381,648

• Median household income: $188,544
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $125,696
• Highest income to be middle class: $377,088

• Median household income: $188,405
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $125,603
• Highest income to be middle class: $376,810

• Median household income: $188,299
• Minimum income needed to be middle class: $125,533
• Highest income to be middle class: $376,598

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates used data from the 2022 American Community Survey to find cities in which an annual income of $125,000 would fall short of “middle class” status. Only cities with at least 5,000 households were considered. “Middle class” is defined as making between two thirds and double the average annual income for a given area. All data is up to date as of July 2, 2024.

Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only. As a result, some of the photos might not reflect the locations listed in this article.