Aa
What do you consider to be a middle class income?
I know this sounds silly but I am curious about everyone's interpretation of what income separates middle class from lower or upper middle class (or what income classifies people as rich or poor). I am sure the government has established figures regarding income and class desigantion through the tax system or otherwise but I am wondering what everyone's opinion is.
alot of people in the lower range simply live in smaller house you can get a 2 bedroom ranc for 75k, We are at the higher end of the spectrum, and have a 4 bedroom colonial we paid 91k for it 10 years ago its now valued at 225k (was higher a few years ago) and yes we have furniture lots of it we just kept moving up...our first house was a tiny bungalow about 600 sq ft, then we bought a 3 bed room ranch and then our current house, which we are staying in untill all 3 kids are on their own..then we ant to down size. get a small home here and a small home in the south so we can be here in summer and spring and south in fall winter,,,me and my husband both hate MI winters.
This is a fascinating topic. Next lifetime Swampy wants to be an economist (in fact, he was about to quit his job a few years ago and go back to school to get a real degree in this stuff).
By the statistics, the average family income in the US is around $42k per year. There are many places of concentrated wealth where the average is higher. Remember this means family, so everyone who lives in the household with a job counts.
However, income is not on a bell curve, higher income people skew it, so there is a long tail towards the negative and big hump towards the positive.
Swampy sees many families with children surviving well on $70-$90. Below $70, you see constraints (can rarely take vacations, lots of bargain hunting). Below $40, there are severe constraints, at that point people either do completely without ("quiet desperation"), become really good at finding help from others, or become underemployed.
By the statistics, the average family income in the US is around $42k per year. There are many places of concentrated wealth where the average is higher. Remember this means family, so everyone who lives in the household with a job counts.
However, income is not on a bell curve, higher income people skew it, so there is a long tail towards the negative and big hump towards the positive.
Swampy sees many families with children surviving well on $70-$90. Below $70, you see constraints (can rarely take vacations, lots of bargain hunting). Below $40, there are severe constraints, at that point people either do completely without ("quiet desperation"), become really good at finding help from others, or become underemployed.
Growing up we were classed as almost poor. Lived in an Archie Bunker type home on the far east side of Detroit. Five of us in a 2 bedroom, one bath home with a big front porch and a big back porch that often times we slept on these porches. Mom and Dad paid 9.000.00 for this home and rented out the upstairs for 35.00 a month. Dad worked for Chysler as a tool and dye maker. Could not afford a car. We took the bus or walked everywhere. Middle Class People had a 3 bedroom home with a full bath and a 1/2 bath and one car.
Today, middle class I read, is 75,000.00-85,000.00 a year for a family of 4, 3 bedroom home with 2 baths and 2 cars.
Today, middle class I read, is 75,000.00-85,000.00 a year for a family of 4, 3 bedroom home with 2 baths and 2 cars.
Wow. I hear about these home values and it just really freaks me out. How in the world do people afford a $245,000 home on 45K a year?????? Is there any furniture in it?
I live in Missouri. My husband and I have combined income of $60,000. We own our home. 4 bedroom, one bath on 1 acre of land. $50,000.
I live in Missouri. My husband and I have combined income of $60,000. We own our home. 4 bedroom, one bath on 1 acre of land. $50,000.
In Michigan its 45k - 80k an adverage 4 bedroom home is 245,000k here
I think it would depend on where you live.
I beleive technically the definition of middle class is any family that lives comfortably and has about 20% of their income going to some form of savings (referred to as disposable income).
In NYC, that would be about $130,000 a year, without kids, for a couple (before taxes).
In NYC, that would be about $130,000 a year, without kids, for a couple (before taxes).
It depends what part of the U.S. you live in. For example 40K in the deep South will get you more than 40K in California.
I have to defer to the immortal George Carlin when it comes to the class structure. I don't think that you can put a dollar amount because everyone will have a slightly different point of view. But here is what Mr. Carlin had to say:
"The upper class: keeps all of the money, pays none of the taxes. The middle class: pays all of the taxes, does all of the work. The poor are there...just to scare the poop out of the middle class."
"The upper class: keeps all of the money, pays none of the taxes. The middle class: pays all of the taxes, does all of the work. The poor are there...just to scare the poop out of the middle class."
I'm not sure middle class can be defined by income, but behavior, education and values.
For example, a family of four with an income of $45 who are married, have children who succeed socially and educationally, who keep a neat and welcoming home, who participate in social activities like neighborhood stuff or soccer, keep up with bills, behave respectably, are fully middle class in my opinion.
A family with an income of $60K who have been seen screaming at the principal, have a wreck of a home, in and out of jail, doesn't behave respectably, doesn't keep up with bills, etc., isn't a middle class family.
It seems to be more about a feeling of belonging, and valuing the middle class status than just about paychecks.
For example, a family of four with an income of $45 who are married, have children who succeed socially and educationally, who keep a neat and welcoming home, who participate in social activities like neighborhood stuff or soccer, keep up with bills, behave respectably, are fully middle class in my opinion.
A family with an income of $60K who have been seen screaming at the principal, have a wreck of a home, in and out of jail, doesn't behave respectably, doesn't keep up with bills, etc., isn't a middle class family.
It seems to be more about a feeling of belonging, and valuing the middle class status than just about paychecks.
I'm probably way off here, but my guess would be between 50K to 80K range.
Happy, your upbringing sounds very similar to mine.
I was raised in a family of 11 in a 4 bedroom 2 bath house.
Both my parents worked and we were also considered middle class.
Happy, your upbringing sounds very similar to mine.
I was raised in a family of 11 in a 4 bedroom 2 bath house.
Both my parents worked and we were also considered middle class.
Growing up we were considered middle class. I have no idea what my father made but there were 8 of us in a 3 bedroom/1 bath row home in Philly. He had a cash box with envelopes of cash each marked for their intended use (food, entertainement, gas, ect.). When the cash ran out that would be it. They sent us to parochial school but we wore hand me downs. We had food in the house but dinner was often rationed (my parents got the same amount as us kids). We had one car, my folks always used coupons and bought generic and we went out to eat maybe twice a year. Times have changed. Now I think that we would have been considered the low end of middle class.
i think a family of four needs $125-200k depending on location, to be middle class. below that would be lower middle class, and i think under 50K a family of 4 is likely seriously struggling.
I guess this isn't an easy question to answer since a single person living alone making $50K a year is not the same as a family of 4 bringing in that amount. Assuming that the income is supporting a family I would have to say that I think $60K to $100K would be middle class.
I think for me, my opinion is based on the location. Some places are cheaper to live than others.
In general though, if I had to make a basic interpretation just off the top of my head, I'd say middle class is between $40K-80K per year. Anything from $25K-$30K per year is questionable as middle class to me, because it depends on how many people that money is supporting (just a single person can usually do pretty well in that range if they spend and invest wisely). But definitely anything below $25K per year is poverty level, and potentially below $40K could be "poor" and not quite middle class but not poverty either.
Anything over $80K is comfortable, secure living to me...but that's just my perspective based on living my life in Colorado Springs, CO and Huntsville, AL.
I'd classify anything over $120K per year as rich.
In general though, if I had to make a basic interpretation just off the top of my head, I'd say middle class is between $40K-80K per year. Anything from $25K-$30K per year is questionable as middle class to me, because it depends on how many people that money is supporting (just a single person can usually do pretty well in that range if they spend and invest wisely). But definitely anything below $25K per year is poverty level, and potentially below $40K could be "poor" and not quite middle class but not poverty either.
Anything over $80K is comfortable, secure living to me...but that's just my perspective based on living my life in Colorado Springs, CO and Huntsville, AL.
I'd classify anything over $120K per year as rich.
2 working adults in the house I consider middle class 60 to 75 thousand a yr with both incomes
You are reading content posted in the MedHelp Social Community
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
