What Income Level Is Considered Middle Class in Your State?

What is considered middle class? It might take more money than you think to reach this income tier. The Pew Research Center defines middle class, or middle-income households, as those with incomes that are two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income.

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However, because the cost of living and average income varies so widely from state to state, the income needed to be “middle class” in one state could be much more or less than what it takes to be middle class in another. Using Pew’s definition of middle class, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey to determine how much two-, three- and four-person families need to earn in every state to qualify for this classification.

Find out the states where it’s easiest to be middle class.

Last updated: March 9, 2021

Alabama

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $37,172.94 to $110,964
  
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $42,604.63 to $127,178
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $52,438.89 to $156,534

See: States Where It’s Easiest To Go From Middle Class to Upper Class

Alaska

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $56,330.92 to $168,152
  
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $60,428.64 to $180,384
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $69,665.26 to $207,956

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Arizona

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,284.37 to $126,222
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $45,197.53 to $134,918
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $53,119.61 to $158,566

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Arkansas

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $35,087.23 to $104,738
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $38,855.31 to $115,986
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $46,507.38 to $138,828

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California

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $50,117.34 to $149,604
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $54,870.99 to $163,794
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $62,647.68 to $187,008

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Colorado

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,695.19 to $154,314
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $57,772.76 to $172,456
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $67,509.20 to $201,520
  

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Connecticut

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $56,695.40 to $169,240
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $66,263 to $197,800
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $80,839.52 to $241,312

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Delaware

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $47,450.07 to $141,642
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $55,792.91 to $166,546
  
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $67,502.50 to $201,500

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Florida

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,789.96 to $118,776
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $43,393.89 to $129,534
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $51,789.66 to $154,596

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Georgia

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $40,845.21 to $121,926
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $46,002.20 to $137,320
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $53,740.03 to $160,418

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Hawaii

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,397.71 to $153,426
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $61,821.57 to $184,542
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $69,842.14 to $208,484

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Idaho

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,885.10 to $119,060
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $43,232.42 to $129,052
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $50,060.39 to $149,434

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Illinois

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $47,116.41 to $140,646
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $54,310.87 to $162,122
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $65,412.77 to $195,262

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Indiana

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $40,695.80 to $121,480
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $47,411.21 to $141,526
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $55,750.03 to $166,418

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Iowa

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,792.18 to $133,708
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $51,367.56 to $153,336
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $61,254.08 to $182,848

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Kansas

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,103.42 to $131,652
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $50,075.80 to $149,480
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $58,316.13 to $174,078

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Kentucky

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $36,106.97 to $107,782
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $42,429.09 to $126,654
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $52,059 to $155,400

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Louisiana

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $36,315.34 to $108,404
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $42,047.19 to $125,514
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $53,242.89 to $158,934

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Maine

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,119.55 to $125,730
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $50,917.32 to $151,992
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $60,412.56 to $180,336

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Maryland

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $58,147.96 to $173,576
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $68,045.87 to $203,122
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $80,429.48 to $240,088

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Massachusetts

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $54,438.17 to $162,502
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $68,368.81 to $204,086
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $83,974.45 to $250,670

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Michigan

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,073.68 to $122,608
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $49,233.61 to $146,966
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $60,088.28 to $179,368

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Minnesota

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $50,252.01 to $150,006
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $60,824.61 to $181,566
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $72,837.71 to $217,426

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Mississippi

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $33,585.09 to $100,254
  
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $36,874.79 to $110,074
  
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $44,646.79 to $133,274

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Missouri

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $40,137.02 to $119,812
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $47,224.28 to $140,968
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $56,973.45 to $170,070

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Montana

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,358.43 to $123,458
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $47,905.67 to $143,002
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $57,155.02 to $170,612

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Nebraska

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $45,617.62 to $136,172
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $51,282.47 to $153,082
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $60,474.87 to $180,522

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Nevada

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,436.46 to $126,676
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $46,585.10 to $139,060
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $52,754.46 to $157,476

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New Hampshire

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,969.89 to $155,134
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $63,278.82 to $188,892
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $77,816.48 to $232,288

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New Jersey

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $54,144.71 to $161,626
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $67,765.81 to $202,286
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $82,698.10 to $246,860

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New Mexico

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $38,553.14 to $115,084
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $38,622.15 to $115,290
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $43,667.92 to $130,352

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New York

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $46,597.83 to $139,098
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $55,155.74 to $164,644
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $67,252.59 to $200,754

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North Carolina

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,766.51 to $118,706
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $44,938.24 to $134,144
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $54,094.46 to $161,476

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North Dakota

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $50,524.70 to $150,820
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $56,369.11 to $168,266
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $67,521.93 to $201,558

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Ohio

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,263.96 to $123,176
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $48,556.91 to $144,946
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $58,955.98 to $175,988

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Oklahoma

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,604.37 to $118,222
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $43,061.57 to $128,542
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $49,231.60 to $146,960

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Oregon

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,341.27 to $132,362
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $50,984.32 to $152,192
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $59,710.40 to $178,240

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Pennsylvania

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $43,328.90 to $129,340
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $53,888.10 to $160,860
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $64,841.26 to $193,556

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Rhode Island

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $48,213.20 to $143,920
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $55,043.85 to $164,310
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $69,286.71 to $206,826

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South Carolina

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,337.04 to $117,424
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $42,692.40 to $127,440
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $51,590 to $154,000

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South Dakota

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,333.90 to $132,340
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $49,529.08 to $147,848
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $57,928.87 to $172,922

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Tennessee

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $38,167.22 to $113,932
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $43,790.53 to $130,718
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $51,220.83 to $152,898

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Texas

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $43,321.53 to $129,318
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $47,581.39 to $142,034
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $54,994.94 to $164,164

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Utah

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,442.44 to $132,664
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $51,330.71 to $153,226
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $57,409.62 to $171,372

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Vermont

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $46,184.44 to $137,864
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $54,231.14 to $161,884
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $63,166.26 to $188,556

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Virginia

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,174.60 to $152,760
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $59,441.06 to $177,436
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $70,116.84 to $209,304

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Washington

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,331.38 to $153,228
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $58,312.78 to $174,068
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $68,185.23 to $203,538

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West Virginia

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $34,203.50 to $102,100
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $41,735.64 to $124,584
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $49,760.90 to $148,540

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Wisconsin

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,306.43 to $132,258
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $53,190.63 to $158,778
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $64,167.91 to $191,546

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Wyoming

• 2-person family middle-class income range: $47,764.30 to $142,580
• 3-person family middle-class income range: $53,187.95 to $158,770
• 4-person family middle-class income range: $61,159.61 to $182,566

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Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting of this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates found how much the middle class earns in every state by analyzing the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey data to determine how much a two-, three- and four-person middle-class family earns. Pew Research Center defines middle class as making two-thirds (67%) to double (200%) the national median income. For this study, GOBankingRates assumed that a middle-class family earns two-thirds to double the median income for a family of its size in its state. In order to find out how much a middle-class family is earning, GOBankingRates multiplied each median income by 0.67 for the lower limit and by 2 for the upper limit. Data is accurate as of June 22, 2020.

About the Author

Gabrielle Olya

Gabrielle joined GOBankingRates in 2017 and brings with her a decade of experience in the journalism industry. Before joining the team, she was a staff writer-reporter for People Magazine and People.com. Her work has also appeared on E! Online, Us Weekly, Patch, Sweety High and Discover Los Angeles, and she has been featured on “Good Morning America” as a celebrity news expert. 

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