How Much You Need To Be ‘Middle Class’ on the East Coast of the US

The East Coast of the United States, from where Maine meets Canada south to where Florida meets the Gulf of Mexico, is a collection of diverse states each offering different pros and cons for the people who live there. And their affordability varies widely, too, for those people considered to be middle class. 

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You’ll need a lot less money to live a middle-class lifestyle in some of the states than the others. Some have perks such as no state income tax, while others have benefits in terms of job opportunities and top-notch education that some of the states don’t offer.

GOBankingRates set out to find how much money you need to be considered middle class on the East Coast, using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of “middle class” as making 75% to 200% of a median income. GOBankingRates then determined middle class income range on the West Coast by analyzing median wage data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Income and Poverty report. The average monthly mortgage payments in each state, plus payments for monthly car, student loan and credit card payments then were calculated and figured in.

Read on to learn more about what you need to earn to live a middle-class lifestyle up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

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• Middle income (low end): $59,190 
• Middle income (high end): $315,680 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,791
• Car loan payment (monthly): $459 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $225
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $60 

About 3.6 million people live in Connecticut, and the state like to brag about the quality of life and its affordability compared to its neighbors. The home of Yale University and about 40 other colleges and universities, Connecticut ranks No. 2 in the U.S. for college readiness, the state reports. In addition, it has 21 world-class museums and offers a cost of living that’s about half that of New York City and significantly less than that of Boston.

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• Middle income (low end): $52,761
• Middle income (high end): $281,392
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,522
• Car loan payment (monthly): $474 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $212 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $55 

The First State, as it’s known, is tiny but mighty. Because of its friendly tax and business laws, more than 1 million businesses call Delaware their home legally, including over 66% of Fortune 500 companies, according to the state. That’s more than one business per resident. The 2020 U.S. Census reported that 989,948 people live in Delaware.

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• Middle income (low end): $67,796 
• Middle income (high end): $361,580 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $3,895 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $421 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $388 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $57 

Living in Washington, D.C., — or “The District,” as locals call it – is expensive but residents aren’t lacking for things to do. The city is just 68 square miles and one of the most walkable places in the country, whether residents are working to work in government buildings, to visit one of its many monuments, parks or museums, or to see the famed cherry blossoms when they bloom in the spring.

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• Middle income (low end): $44,399 
• Middle income (high end): $236,792 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,647 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $505 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $196 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $56 

Florida has 1,350 of coastline, the most of any state but Alaska, so a beach never is far away. The characteristics of the state vary from region to region, from urban to rural, and it has a diverse population. But there’s one commonality for all – no state income tax.

• Middle income (low end): $46,463 
• Middle income (high end): $247,800 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,269 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $458 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $200 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $57 

Georgia’s population rose by more than 1 million people to 10.7 million between the 2010 and 2020 Census, representing an increase of 10.6%, the Census Bureau reported. Weather, housing affordability and job opportunities draw people to the state. And don’t forget the Georgia peaches and other abundant locally grown produce.

• Middle income (low end): $44,118 
• Middle income (high end): $235,296 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,549 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $453 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $210 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $47 

Maine, with the nation’s lowest violent crime ranking, is the safest state to live in, according to U.S. News & World Report. It ranked fourth-lowest in property crimes, too. In area. Maine is the largest of the six New England states, but its population density is the lowest at about 44 residents per square mile. Its neighbor to the south, Massachusetts, has about 884 residents per square mile.

• Middle income (low end): $64,983 
• Middle income (high end): $346,576 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,834 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $462 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $216 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $60 

Maryland can claim some a number of famous people as natives or residents: Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, baseball greats Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Jr., philanthropist and hospital founder Johns Hopkins, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, jazz singer Billie Holiday and authors Edgar Allan Poe and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Francis Scott Key, from the city of Frederick, wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” amid the bombardment of Baltimore by British forces in the War of 1812.

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• Middle income (low end): $64,275 
• Middle income (high end): $171,400 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $2,689 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $466 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $229 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $51 

The Boston area is known for its prestigious colleges and universities – start with Harvard – but its strong education extends throughout the state. Massachusetts is No. 2 in the nation when it comes to kindergarten through 12^th-grade schooling, according to U.S. News & World Report. It’s also ranked second in health care.

• Middle income (low end): $58,928 
• Middle income (high end): $157,142 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,874 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $427
• Student loan payment (monthly): $213 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $53 

U.S. News & World Report named New Hampshire the best place on the East Coast to live in its 2021 study, and the fourth-best in the nation. The small state got big marks for crime and correction (No. 1), natural environment (No. 2) and opportunity (No. 3). Bonus: No state income or sales tax is assessed.

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• Middle income (low end): $64,340 
• Middle income (high end): $171,572 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $2,106 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $470 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $226 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $60 

New Jersey is in the middle of everything. From the central part of the state, you can reach New York City, Philadelphia, the mountains or the famous Jersey Shore within an hour. It has the top-ranked school system in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.

• Middle income (low end): $54,029 
• Middle income (high end): $144,076 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,789 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $475 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $223 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $54 

While the high cost of living in New York City is legendary, much of the state offers affordable housing. In shopping for a place to live and work, you could consider one of the state’s 10 distinctive regions, which include the Capital District, Western New York, the North Country, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier. Each offers a twist on life in New York State.

• Middle income (low end): $43,041 
• Middle income (high end): $114,776 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,304
• Car loan payment (monthly): $432 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $199 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $51 

North Carolina is home to top-notch universities and job opportunities, but it also offers mild weather to enjoy its great outdoors. Start in the western part of the state with a visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains and travel east to the coastline to the Outer Banks. The latter region is popular today for great beaches. In history, it’s known as the place where the Wright Brothers launched their historic first flight.

• Middle income (low end): $47,591 
• Middle income (high end): $126,910 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,193 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $417 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $216 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $51 

Pennsylvania is one of the most affordable places to live on this list, and it offers a variety of lifestyles. It has big cities – Philadelphia and Pittsburgh – but also vast suburban and rural areas. It also has an ongoing commitment to growing jobs through innovation in technology. Since 1983, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners has been working to help startups and established companies grow their businesses.

• Middle income (low end): $52,787
• Middle income (high end): $140,766 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $2,003 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $457 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $218 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $53 

Rhode Island is the smallest state with an area of just 1,214 square miles. It doesn’t take long to cross the state as it spans 48 miles from north to south and 37 miles from east to west. Fun fact: Rhode Island native George M. Cohan, born in Providence in 1878, wrote two staples of Americana: “Yankee Doodle Boy” (also known as “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”) and “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

• Middle income (low end): $42,270 
• Middle income (high end): $112,720 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,211
• Car loan payment (monthly): $486 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $201 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $53 

South Carolina is the most affordable state on the East Coast in the study, and it’s a picturesque place to live. From a look at the 350 years of history in charming Charleston, to the national parks of the Lowcountry to the nearly 2,900 miles of coastline, there’s a lot to see in South Carolina.

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• Middle income (low end): $57,353 
• Middle income (high end): $152,942 
• Mortgage needed for average home (monthly): $1,745 
• Car loan payment (monthly): $408 
• Student loan payment (monthly): $216 
• Credit card payment (monthly minimum): $60 

Virginia is the second-best state on the East Coast, ranking No. 7 overall in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. It got its highest marks for opportunity (No. 8), crime and corrections (No. 9) and healthcare and education (both No. 12).

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Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates applied (1) the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of “middle class” as making 75% to 200% of a median income. GOBankingRates then determined middle class income range on the East Coast by (2) analyzing median wage data sourced from the Census Bureau’s 2020 Income and Poverty report and multiplied the incomes by 0.75 for lowest threshold and by 2 for upper threshold. GOBankingRates found (3) average monthly mortgage payments by applying data sourced from Zillow’s Home Value Index to a 30-year fixed mortgage at a 3.43% interest rate (not accounting for individual variables such as down payment, taxes, PMI and insurance). GOBankingRates further utilized data from (4) LendEDU, which analyzed aggregated anonymized data from 150,000 Truebill users, to determine average student loan payments; (5) U.S. News & World Report’s breakdown of car ownership by geography to determine monthly car payments; and (6) Experian’s Consumer Debt Study of average credit card debt, multiplied by 1% (the minimum monthly payment required by most major credit cards) to determine monthly credit card payments. Data is accurate as of Nov. 3, 2021.