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17 Western US Cities Where the Upper-Middle Class Has Exploded

May 21, 2025

4 min Read

Written by Heather Taylor

Edited by Levi Leidy

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A recent GOBankingRates study ranked the 50 top cities for rising upper-middle class populations — and 17 of those are based in the U.S. Western region. That means the West accounts for 34% of the top 50 cities for upper-middle class growth. This isn’t too surprising, considering that many professionals will relocate to these states to build their wealth working for tech companies or starting their own businesses.

Do you live in any of these cities? Take a look at the 17 Western cities that are increasingly being populated by the upper-middle class.

1. Meridian, Idaho

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 5,421
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 10,487
Percentage change in high-earning households: 93.5%
Household median income: $98,686

2. San Bernardino, California

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 6,005
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 10,734
Percentage change in high-earning households: 78.8%
Household median income: $63,988

3. Bellingham, Washington

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 3,785
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 6,745
Percentage change in high-earning households: 78.2%
Household median income: $65,821

4. Salinas, California

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 5,616
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 9,802
Percentage change in high-earning households: 74.5%
Household median income: $89,150

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5. Tucson, Arizona

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 18,682
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 31,711
Percentage change in high-earning households: 69.7%
Household median income: $54,546

6. Spring Valley, Nevada

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 9,034
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 15,285
Percentage change in high-earning households: 69.2%
Household median income: $72,364

7. Lancaster, California

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 5,932
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 9,844
Percentage change in high-earning households: 65.9%
Household median income: $76,083

8. Tempe, Arizona

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 9,153
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 15,178
Percentage change in high-earning households: 65.8%
Household median income: $77,643

9. Spokane, Washington

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 9,592
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 15,796
Percentage change in high-earning households: 64.7%
Household median income: $65,745

10. Spokane Valley, Washington

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 4,808
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 7,914
Percentage change in high-earning households: 64.6%
Household median income: $70,722

11. Enterprise, Nevada

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 10,942
Households’ earnings $100-$150K In 2023: 18,007
Percentage change in high-earning households: 64.6%
Household median income: $93,980

12. North Las Vegas, Nevada

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 10,668
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 17,536
Percentage change in high-earning households: 64.4%
Household median income: $76,772

13. Salem, Oregon

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 7,826
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 12,728
Percentage change in high-earning households: 62.6%
Household median income: $71,900

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14. Pueblo, Colorado

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 3,461
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 5,626
Percentage change in high-earning households: 62.6%
Household median income: $55,305

15. Fresno, California

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 18,483
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 29,913
Percentage change in high-earning households: 61.8%
Household median income: $66,804

16. Surprise, Arizona

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 8,399
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 13,571
Percentage change in high-earning households: 61.6%
Household median income: $93,371

17. Sparks, Nevada

Households earning $100K to $150K in 2018: 5,916
Households earning $100K to $150K in 2023: 9,520
Percentage change in high-earning households: 60.9%
Household median income: $86,979

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities with at least 40,000 households, according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey, to find the cities where the upper-middle class has grown the most. Households that earn between $100,000 and $149,000 are considered upper-middle class. Using the American Community Survey, the total population, total households, household median income, households in 2018 that earned $100K to $149K and households in 2023 that earned $100K to $149K were all sourced. The percent change in upper-middle-class households was calculated and the cities were sorted to show the largest increase in upper-middle-class households. All data was collected on and is up to date as of April 1, 2025.

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