The spike in living costs in recent years has increased the price of a comfortable middle-class life that many Americans dream of: a stable home, the ability to save enough to retire and enough left over for family vacations, new cars, home improvements and the like.
Recent research by SmartAsset found that the median household income needed to be considered middle class in the biggest U.S. cities increased to $74,225 in 2023 from $71,359 the year before, according to the latest data available.
To determine the income limits to be in the middle class, SmartAsset analyzed U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 1-year American Community Survey data for the median household income in 100 of the largest U.S. cities, as well as in all 50 states. Researchers applied a variation of Pew Research’s definition of middle-income households to determine the middle-class salary range — two-thirds to double the median U.S. salary.
See the accompanying gallery for the 12 cities where households needed the highest incomes to maintain a middle-class standing.
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