The Income Needed To Be Upper-Middle Class in the 50 Largest US Cities

There’s good news for Americans who don’t yet earn a six-figure income and want to join the upper-middle class. The lowest end of upper-middle class income is under $95,000 in seven of the nation’s largest cities, according to a new study from GOBankingRates.

To find the upper-middle class income ranges, GOBankingRates studied the 50 largest U.S. cities by total population and referred to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey to find each city’s median household income. Using the definition of middle-class income as two-thirds to double the median household income of an area, GOBankingRates found the total upper-middle class income range for each city.

• Detroit is the largest U.S. city where you’re considered upper-middle class on a salary of $80,000. There, the lowest end of upper-middle class income is $60,993 and the highest end is $78,418.
• Americans who earn at least $95,000 in seven major cities break through the lowest end of upper-middle class income. These cities are Detroit ($60,993), Memphis ($81,946), Milwaukee ($88,344), El Paso ($93,229), Tucson ($94,086), Philadelphia ($94,145) and Tulsa ($94,781).
• The highest end of upper-middle class income is more than $200,000 in six cities: Oakland ($204,470), Washington, D.C. ($219,414), San Diego ($222,064), Seattle ($237,490), San Francisco ($279,602) and San Jose ($296,452).

Here’s the income needed to be upper-middle class in America’s 50 largest cities. And if you’re planning to relocate in 2026, don’t forget to review America’s 50 wealthiest suburbs.

• Population: 645,702
• Median household income: $39,209
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $60,993
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $78,418

• Population: 610,936
• Median household income: $52,679
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $81,946
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $105,358

• Population: 563,512
• Median household income: $56,792
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $88,344
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $113,584

• Population: 681,724
• Median household income: $59,932
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $93,229
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $119,864

• Population: 554,011
• Median household income: $60,483
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $94,086
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $120,966

• Population: 1,573,916
• Median household income: $60,521
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $94,145
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $121,042

• Population: 413,652
• Median household income: $60,930
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $94,781
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $121,860

• Population: 2,387,910
• Median household income: $64,361
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $100,118
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $128,722

• Population: 568,271
• Median household income: $64,778
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $100,767
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $129,556

• Population: 1,526,621
• Median household income: $66,176
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $102,941
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $132,352

• Population: 487,006
• Median household income: $66,337
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $103,192
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $132,674

• Population: 890,315
• Median household income: $66,900
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $104,068
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $133,800

• Population: 931,551
• Median household income: $67,084
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $104,354
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $134,168

• Population: 640,793
• Median household income: $67,251
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $104,614
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $134,502

• Population: 516,045
• Median household income: $69,958
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $108,825
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $139,916

• Population: 713,014
• Median household income: $70,040
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $108,952
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $140,080

• Population: 560,333
• Median household income: $71,494
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $111,214
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $142,988

• Population: 489,263
• Median household income: $71,640
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $111,441
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $143,280

• Population: 1,009,831
• Median household income: $72,389
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $112,606
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $144,778

• Population: 1,326,093
• Median household income: $74,323
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $115,615
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $148,646

• Population: 403,657
• Median household income: $74,388
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $115,716
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $148,776

• Population: 550,091
• Median household income: $74,491
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $115,876
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $148,982

• Population: 428,572
• Median household income: $77,732
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $120,917
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $155,464

• Population: 678,924
• Median household income: $78,556
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $122,199
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $157,112

• Population: 704,965
• Median household income: $80,090
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $124,585
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $160,180

• Population: 2,721,326
• Median household income: $80,613
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $125,399
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $161,226

• Population: 8,478,072
• Median household income: $81,228
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $126,356
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $162,456

• Population: 417,461
• Median household income: $82,093
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $127,701
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $164,186

• Population: 3,878,718
• Median household income: $82,263
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $127,966
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $164,526

• Population: 1,014,376
• Median household income: $82,503
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $128,339
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $165,006

• Population: 493,540
• Median household income: $83,672
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $130,157
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $167,344

• Population: 414,575
• Median household income: $84,114
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $130,845
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $168,228

• Population: 499,637
• Median household income: $85,060
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $132,317
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $170,120

• Population: 1,673,122
• Median household income: $85,246
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $132,606
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $170,492

• Population: 517,142
• Median household income: $85,580
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $133,125
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $171,160

• Population: 943,474
• Median household income: $86,416
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $134,426
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $172,832

• Population: 520,066
• Median household income: $88,165
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $137,147
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $176,330

• Population: 993,771
• Median household income: $90,430
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $140,670
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $180,860

• Population: 450,917
• Median household income: $91,318
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $142,051
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $182,636

• Population: 535,787
• Median household income: $91,387
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $142,159
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $182,774

• Population: 636,958
• Median household income: $91,478
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $142,300
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $182,956

• Population: 729,019
• Median household income: $92,504
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $143,896
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $185,008

• Population: 454,808
• Median household income: $94,579
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $147,124
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $189,158

• Population: 673,822
• Median household income: $97,791
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $152,120
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $195,582

• Population: 443,575
• Median household income: $102,235
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $159,033
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $204,470

• Population: 702,250
• Median household income: $109,707
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $170,656
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $219,414

• Population: 1,404,461
• Median household income: $111,032
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $172,717
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $222,064

• Population: 780,992
• Median household income: $118,745
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $184,715
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $237,490

• Population: 827,526
• Median household income: $139,801
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $217,469
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $279,602

• Population: 997,395
• Median household income: $148,226
• Lowest end of upper-middle class income: $230,575
• Highest end of upper-middle class income: $296,452

Discover more original studies and surveys in the GOBankingRates original research center.

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates found the upper-middle class income ranges for the largest 50 U.S. cities, in terms of total populations, by first sourcing the total population figures from the 2024 1-Year American Community Survey (ACS) as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. We then found the median household income in every city from the 2024 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Using the definition of middle-class income (two-thirds to double the median income), GOBankingRates was able to determine each state’s upper-middle-class income range. All data was collected on Dec. 16, 2025.