The Line Between Lower Class and Lower Middle Class in Every State

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Social classes go way back to at least the Middle Ages — but classes such as the “lower class” and the “lower middle class” didn’t become a prominent part of our sociological lexicon in the U.S. until after the Civil War, when industrial growth revolutionized the working life. 

As the years pass, the U.S. class system — or, more precisely, how we understand it — keeps changing. And there’s a geographic component to it all. What makes you “wealthy” in one state may not cut it in another. Just as what makes you “lower class” in one region may actually qualify you as “lower middle class” elsewhere. 

In a new study, GOBankingRates analyzed each state to find the line between the lower and middle lower class. States are ranked by the minimum income threshold needed to be middle class, which represents the line between lower class and lower middle class, with those with the highest thresholds ranking highest.

50. Mississippi 

• Household median income: $54,915
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $36,610

49. West Virginia

• Household median income: $57,917
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $38,611

48. Arkansas

• Household median income: $58,773
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $39,182

47. Louisiana

• Household median income: $60,023
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $40,015

46. Alabama

• Household median income: $62,027
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $41,351

45. New Mexico

• Household median income: $62,125
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $41,417

44. Kentucky

• Household median income: $62,417
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $41,611

43. Oklahoma

• Household median income: $63,603
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $42,402

42. South Carolina

• Household median income: $66,818
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $44,545

41. Tennessee

• Household median income: $67,097
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $44,731

40. Missouri

• Household median income: $68,920
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $45,947

39. Ohio

• Household median income: $69,680
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $46,453

38. North Carolina

• Household median income: $69,904
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $46,603

37. Montana

• Household median income: $69,922
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $46,615

36. Indiana

• Household median income: $70,051
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $46,701

35. Michigan

• Household median income: $71,149
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $47,433

34. Florida

• Household median income: $71,711
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $47,807

33. Maine

• Household median income: $71,773
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $47,849

32. South Dakota

• Household median income: $72,421
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $48,281

31. Kansas

• Household median income: $72,639
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $48,426

30. Iowa

• Household median income: $73,147
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $48,765

29. Idaho

• Household median income: $74,636
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $49,757

28. Georgia

• Household median income: $74,664
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $49,776

27. Wyoming

• Household median income: $74,815
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $49,877

26. Nebraska

• Household median income: $74,985
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $49,990

25. Nevada

• Household median income: $75,561
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $50,374

24. Wisconsin

• Household median income: $75,670
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $50,447

23. North Dakota

• Household median income: $75,949
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $50,633

22. Pennsylvania

• Household median income: $76,081
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $50,721

21. Texas

• Household median income: $76,292
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $50,861

20. Arizona

• Household median income: $76,872
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $51,248

19. Vermont

• Household median income: $78,024
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $52,016

18. Oregon

• Household median income: $80,426
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $53,617

17. Illinois

• Household median income: $81,702
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $54,468

16. Delaware

• Household median income: $82,855
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $55,237

15. New York

• Household median income: $84,578
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $56,385

14. Rhode Island

• Household median income: $86,372
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $57,581

13. Minnesota

• Household median income: $87,556
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $58,371

12. Alaska

• Household median income: $89,336
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $59,557

11. Virginia

• Household median income: $90,974
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $60,649

10. Utah

• Household median income: $91,750
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $61,167

9. Colorado

• Household median income: $92,470
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $61,647

8. Connecticut

• Household median income: $93,760
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $62,507

7. Washington

• Household median income: $94,952
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $63,301

6. New Hampshire

• Household median income: $95,628
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $63,752

5. California

• Household median income: $96,334
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $64,223

4. Hawaii

• Household median income: $98,317
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $65,545

3. New Jersey

• Household median income: $101,050
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $67,367

2. Massachusetts

• Household median income: $101,341
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $67,561

1. Maryland 

• Household median income: $101,652
• Middle-class household minimum income threshold: $67,768

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed each state to find the line between the lower and middle lower class. First, GOBankingRates found the; median household income, total population, and total households all sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Using the definition of middle class from PewResearchCenter that states that the middle class is two-thirds to double the household median income, the middle class for each state can be calculated. The middle class for each state represents an overall calculation for each entire state. Once the minimum middle class income level was found the upper lower class was also found, showing the line between lower and lower middle class in every state. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Jan. 3, 2025. 

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