The Minimum Salary Needed To Be Upper Middle Class in the South’s Wealthiest Cities

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Once you’ve made it to the rungs of the middle class, you may have your sights set on graduating to the upper middle class. This is a fairly elite group — only 14% of the U.S. population identify as “upper middle class,” according to a 2022 Gallup survey. 

If becoming upper middle class is a nonnegotiable goal, you may have better odds of reaching it in the South, a region that is home to more “affordable” states than any other. Still, you can find some incredibly upscale areas in the South. How much do you need to make annually to be considered upper middle class in these places?  

In a new study, GOBankingRates found the 50 wealthiest cities in the South and then determined the upper-middle-class income ranges for each.

50. Gaithersburg, Maryland 

• Median household income: $107,496
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $167,217 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $214,992 

49. Hoover, Alabama 

• Median household income: $107,822
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $167,724
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $215,644 

48. Bentonville, Arkansas 

• Median household income: $108,465
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $168,724 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $216,930 

47. Plano, Texas 

• Median household income: $108,649
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $169,011 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $217,298

46. Jupiter, Florida 

• Median household income: $109,109
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $169,726 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $218,218 

45. Dunwoody, Georgia 

• Median household income: $109,116
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $169,737 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $218,232 

44. Wellington, Florida 

• Median household income: $110,294
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $171,569 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $220,588 

43. Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 

• Median household income: $110,563
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $171,988 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $221,126 

42. Grapevine, Texas 

• Median household income: $111,438
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $173,349 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $222,876

41. Germantown, Maryland

• Median household income: $112,149
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $174,455 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $224,298  

40. Pearland, Texas 

• Median household income: $112,470
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $174,954 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $224,940 

39. Pflugerville, Texas 

• Median household income: $112,656
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $175,244 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $225,312 

38. Dale City, Virginia 

• Median household income: $113,245
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $176,160 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $226,490 

37. Rowlett, Texas 

• Median household income: $113,600
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $176,712 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $227,200 

36. Alexandria, Virginia 

• Median household income: $113,638
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $176,771 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $227,276 

35. Atascocita, Texas 

• Median household income: $114,443
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $178,023 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $228,886

34. Franklin, Tennessee 

• Median household income: $115,000
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $178,890 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $230,000 

33. Waldorf, Maryland 

• Median household income: $115,453
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $179,595 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $230,906

32. Mansfield, Texas 

• Median household income: $116,590
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $181,363 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $233,180

31. Brookhaven, Georgia 

• Median household income: $117,448
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $182,698 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $234,896 

30. League City, Texas 

• Median household income: $119,870
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $186,465 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $239,740 

29. Huntersville, North Carolina 

• Median household income: $119,951
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $186,591 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $239,902 

28. McKinney, Texas 

• Median household income: $120,273
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $187,092 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $240,546

27. Bel Air South, Maryland 

• Median household income: $120,721
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $187,789 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $241,442 

26. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 

• Median household income: $121,364
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $188,789
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $242,728 

25. Rockville, Maryland 

• Median household income: $122,384
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $190,376
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $244,768 

24. Horizon West, Florida 

• Median household income: $123,586
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $192,246 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $247,172

23. Cedar Park, Texas 

• Median household income: $123,972
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $192,846 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $247,944

22. Roswell, Georgia 

• Median household income: $124,422
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $193,546 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $248,844 

21. North Bethesda, Maryland 

• Median household income: $128,970
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $200,621 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $257,940 

20. Allen, Texas 

• Median household income: $129,130
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $200,870 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $258,260 

19. Columbia, Maryland

• Median household income: $129,173
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $200,937 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $258,346  

18. Cary, North Carolina 

• Median household income: $129,399
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $201,288 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $258,798 

17. Severn, Maryland 

• Median household income: $130,627
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $203,199 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $261,254 

16. Madison, Alabama 

• Median household income: $131,436
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $204,457
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $262,872 

15. Sugar Land, Texas 

• Median household income: $137,511
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $213,907 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $275,022

14. Apex, North Carolina 

• Median household income: $138,442
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $215,355 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $276,884 

13. Reston, Virginia 

• Median household income: $139,515
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $217,024 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $279,030

12. Arlington, Virginia 

• Median household income: $140,160
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $218,028 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $280,320

11. Leander, Texas 

• Median household income: $140,180
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $218,059 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $280,360 

10. Weston, Florida 

• Median household income: $140,501
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $218,558 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $281,002 

9. The Woodlands, Texas

• Median household income: $141,353
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $219,883 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $282,706

8. Bowie, Maryland 

• Median household income: $141,831
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $220,627 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $283,662 

7. Centreville, Virginia 

• Median household income: $143,704
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $223,541 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $287,408

6. Frisco, Texas 

• Median household income: $146,158
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $227,358
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $292,316 

5. Alpharetta, Georgia 

• Median household income: $146,581
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $228,016 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $293,162

4. Flower Mound, Texas 

• Median household income: $157,737
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $245,370
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $315,474

3. Ellicott City, Maryland  

• Median household income: $157,891
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $245,609 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $315,782 

2. Johns Creek, Georgia 

• Median household income: $160,185
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $249,178 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $320,370 

1. Bethesda, Maryland 

• Median household income: $191,348
• Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $297,653 
• Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $382,696 

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates first found the 50 wealthiest cities in the South (AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WV) by having a minimum of 20,000 households required and a median household income above $100,000. GOBankingRates then found the upper-middle-class income ranges for every state by first sourcing the median household income in the selected Southern cities from the 2023 American Community Survey as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. From there, GOBankingRates was able to find the total middle-class income range by following the definition of middle-class income as two-thirds to double the income of an area. From there, GOBankingRates was able to determine each city’s upper-middle-class income range. All data was collected and is up to date as of Feb. 19, 2025.

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