Aba Forson
Middle Class Salary – Average Middle Class Income. A Middle Class Family’s Average Annual Income How will you know if you belong to the middle class? A lot of Americans claim that they are not rich, and belong to middle class families. It can be hard to determine a family’s status in the society without looking into the middle class salary. Even the term middle class income is still undefined and vague. Yet, despite this vagueness, you may have heard the unending promises of politicians to help not only the rich people but also the middle class families.
Before going any further, you should first define what a middle class family is. A Congressional Research Service paper entitled ‘Who are the Middle Class?’ written by Brian W. Cashell claimed that the US government has no definite and official definition for the term middle class. It is more of a personal idea rather than considering public knowledge and cultural definitions. Regardless of this fact, politicians continue to use the term as though it has an established definition known to the people.
Middle Class Average Income Range: $36,000 – $57,657
On a narrow view, a middle class family is said to have a mean average household income of $46,829 on a yearly basis. The numbers reflected on the 2010 Census showed that middle class average yearly income range from $36,000 – $57,657. Such figures fall on the third quintile. The Census Bureau uses ‘quintiles’ to divide household incomes and this can serve as the basis to determine if you indeed belong to the middle class families.
On a broader perspective, it can be said that the middle class families are those that belong to the second quintile including the third and fourth quintiles. Cashell on his paper also mentioned that the middle class families are in between the rich and impoverished Americans. Based on this meaning, the yearly income of middle class households can range from $19,178 – $91,704 or a mean average income of $55,441. As you may have noticed, the range is wider in comparison to the narrow view of middle class but it can back up the claims that around 60% of Americans consider themselves as middle class families.
Many factors can affect a family’s lifestyle and household income. During the ‘great recession’, 31% of middle class Americans claimed that they have been gravely affected by recession. This was the result of a public opinion survey in 2008 by the Pew Research Center. These respondents also said that maintaining a middle class lifestyle was also harder in comparison to their lifestyles five years earlier.
In the end, it all boils down to how responsible and hardworking you are as an individual. It is really hard to tell whether you belong to the poor, middle class, or rich families. As long as you’re contented and happy with your life, you can consider yourself as a rich individual. These social classes are merely in the minds of people until an exact definition is established by the United States government. The figures provided by the Census are still inconclusive, but may serve as reference for those who want to determine their social standing.
ALASKA
Household of one: $25,485 to $76,453
Household of three: $44,139 to $132,419
Household of five: $56,985 to $170,953
ARIZONA
Household of one: $23,345 to $70,033
Household of three: $40,433 to $121,301
Household of five: $52,200 to $156,599
ARKANSAS
Household of one: $21,037 to $63,109
Household of three: $36,436 to $109,309
Household of five: $47,039 to $141,117
CALIFORNIA
Household of one: $26,999 to $80,996
Household of three: $46,763 to $140,290
Household of five: $60,371 to $181,113
COLORADO
Household of one: $24,571 to $73,712
Household of three: $42,557 to $127,672
Household of five: $54,942 to $164,824
CONNECTICUT
Household of one: $26,086 to $78,256
Household of three: $45,180 to $135,543
Household of five: $58,329 to $174,984
DELAWARE
Household of one: $24,379 to $73,135
Household of three: $42,224 to $126,673
Household of five: $54,512 to $163,534
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Household of one: $28,297 to $84,891
Household of three: $49,011 to $147,036
Household of five: $63,274 to $189,822
FLORIDA
Household of one: $23,753 to $71,260
Household of three: $41,141 to $123,425
Household of five: $53,114 to $159,341
GEORGIA
Household of one: $22,095 to $66,283
Household of three: $38,268 to $114,805
Household of five: $49,405 to $148,213
HAWAII
Household of one: $27,937 to $83,809
Household of three: $48,387 to $145,162
Household of five: $62,468 to $187,403
IDAHO
Household of one: $22,311 to $66,932
Household of three: $38,643 to $115,929
Household of five: $49,888 to $149,664
ILLINOIS
Household of one: $24,282 to $72,846
Household of three: $42,057 to $126,173
Household of five: $54,297 to $162,889
INDIANA
Household of one: $21,974 to $65,922
Household of three: $38,060 to $114,181
Household of five: $49,136 to $147,406
IOWA
Household of one: $21,710 to $65,129
Household of three: $37,602 to $112,806
Household of five: $48,544 to $145,632
KANSAS
Household of one: $21,830 to $65,490
Household of three: $37,810 to $113,431
Household of five: $48,813 to $146,439
KENTUCKY
Household of one: $21,421 to $64,263
Household of three: $37,102 to $111,307
Household of five: $47,899 to $143,697
LOUISIANA
Household of one: $21,926 to $65,778
Household of three: $37,977 to $113,931
Household of five: $49,028 to $147,084
MAINE
Household of one: $23,489 to $70,466
Household of three: $40,683 to $122,051
Household of five: $52,523 to $157,567
MARYLAND
Household of one: $26,663 to $79,987
Household of three: $46,180 to $138,541
Household of five: $59,619 to $178,855
MASSACHUSETTS
Household of one: $25,797 to $77,390
Household of three: $44,681 to $134,043
Household of five: $57,683 to $173,049
MICHIGAN
Household of one: $22,648 to $67,942
Household of three: $39,226 to $117,678
Household of five: $50,641 to $151,922
MINNESOTA
Household of one: $23,465 to $70,394
Household of three: $40,642 to $121,926
Household of five: $52,469 to $157,405
MISSISSIPPI
Household of one: $20,868 to $62,605
Household of three: $36,144 to $108,434
Household of five: $46,663 to $139,988
MISSOURI
Household of one: $21,445 to $64,336
Household of three: $37,144 to $111,432
Household of five: $47,953 to $143,858
MONTANA
Household of one: $22,696 to $68,086
Household of three: $39,309 to $117,928
Household of five: $ 50,748 to $152,245
NEBRASKA
Household of one: $21,758 to $65,273
Household of three: $37,685 to $113,056
Household of five: $48,652 to $145,955
NEVADA
Household of one: $23,609 to $70,827
Household of three: $40,891 to $122,675
Household of five: $52,791 to $158,373
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Household of one: $25,460 to $76,380
Household of three: $44,098 to $132,295
Household of five: $56,931 to $170,791
NEW JERSEY
Household of one: $27,528 to $82,583
Household of three: $47,679 to $143,038
Household of five: $61,554 to $184,661
NEW MEXICO
Household of one: $22,840 to $68,519
Household of three: $39,559 to $118,678
Household of five: $51,071 to $153,212
NEW YORK
Household of one: $27,720 to $83,160
Household of three: $48,012 to $144,037
Household of five: $61,984 to $185,951
NORTH CAROLINA
Household of one: $22,047 to $66,139
Household of three: $38,185 to $114,555
Household of five: $49,297 to $147,890
NORTH DAKOTA
Household of one: $21,974 to $65,922
Household of three: $38,060 to $114,181
Household of five: $49,136 to $147,406
OHIO
Household of one: $21,542 to $64,624
Household of three: $37,310 to $111,932
Household of five: $48,168 to $144,503
OKLAHOMA
Household of one: $21,614 to $64,840
Household of three: $37,435 to $112,307
Household of five: $48,329 to $144,987
OREGON
Household of one: $23,729 to $71,187
Household of three: $41,100 to $123,300
Household of five: $53,060 to $159,179
PENNSYLVANIA
Household of one: $23,705 to $71,115
Household of three: $41,058 to $123,175
Household of five: $53,006 to $159,018
RHODE ISLAND
Household of one: $23,585 to $70,755
Household of three: $40,850 to $122,550
Household of five: $52,738 to $158,212
SOUTH CAROLINA
Household of one: $21,758 to $65,273
Household of three: $37,685 to $113,056
Household of five: $48,652 to $145,955
SOUTH DAKOTA
Household of one: $21,061 to $63,182
Household of three: $36,478 to $109,433
Household of five: $47,093 to $141,278
TENNESSEE
Household of one: $21,782 to $65,345
Household of three: $37,727 to $113,181
Household of five: $48,706 to $146,116
TEXAS
Household of one: $23,249 to $69,745
Household of three: $40,267 to $120,802
Household of five: $51,985 to $155,954
UTAH
Household of one: $23,369 to $70,106
Household of three: $40,475 to $121,426
Household of five: $52,254 to $156,760
VERMONT
Household of one: $24,090 to $72,269
Household of three: $41,724 to $125,174
Household of five: $53,867 to $161,599
VIRGINIA
Household of one: $24,763 to $74,289
Household of three: $42,890 to $128,672
Household of five: $55,372 to $166,114
WASHINGTON
Household of one: $24,811 to $74,433
Household of three: $42,974 to $128,922
Household of five: $55,479 to $166,437
WEST VIRGINIA
Household of one: $21,253 to $63,759
Household of three: $36,811 to $110,433
Household of five: $47,523 to $142,568
WISCONSIN
Household of one: $22,335 to $67,004
Household of three: $38,684 to $116,054
Household of five: $49,942 to $149,825
WYOMING
Household of one: $23,032 to $69,096
Household of three: $39,892 to $119,677
Household of five: $51,501 to $154,502
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