How Much You Need To Earn To Be Upper-Middle Class in Every State
- - - How Much You Need To Earn To Be Upper-Middle Class in Every State
Heather TaylorJuly 12, 2025 at 6:06 AM
RgStudio / Getty Images
Depending where you live in the U.S., the amount of money you make could position you somewhere from the lowest to highest end of earnings accrued by members of the upper-middle class.
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GOBankingRates was able to determine what the upper-middle-class income ranges look like in every state by sourcing each state’s median household income from the 2023 American Community Survey. Each state’s upper-middle-class income range was found after finding the total middle-class income range in every state (defined as two-thirds to double the income of an area).
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.comKey Findings -
Mississippi ranked as the most affordable state to be a member of the upper-middle class. Your income would need to start at $85,424, with the highest end extending to $109,830.
Maryland beat out high cost-of-living states like Hawaii and California as the state where you’d need the most income to be upper middle-class. The lowest end starts at $158,126 in Maryland.
If you do not earn a six-figure income but make at least $85,424 annually, you are still considered to be a member of the upper-middle class in eight states: Oklahoma, Kentucky, New Mexico, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi.
Median household incomes are still under six figures in 47 states. The only states where the median household income starts at $100,000 or more are Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Ranked from most to least expensive, this is the amount you would need to earn to be upper-middle class in every state.
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sborisov / Getty Images/iStockphoto50. Maryland -
Median household income: $101,652
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $158,126
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $203,304
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DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto49. Massachusetts -
Median household income: $101,341
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $157,643
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $202,682
John Penney / Getty Images48. New Jersey -
Median household income: $101,050
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $157,190
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $202,100
Art Wager / Getty Images47. Hawaii -
Median household income: $98,317
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $152,939
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $196,634
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto46. California -
Median household income: $96,334
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $149,854
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $192,668
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images45. New Hampshire -
Median household income: $95,628
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $148,756
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $191,256
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SeeSAW / Getty Images44. Washington -
Median household income: $94,952
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $147,704
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $189,904
f11photo / iStock.com43. Connecticut -
Median household income: $93,760
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $145,850
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $187,520
Davel5957 / iStock.com42. Colorado -
Median household income: $92,470
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $143,843
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $184,940
miroslav_1 / Getty Images/iStockphoto41. Utah -
Median household income: $91,750
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $142,723
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $183,500
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images40. Virginia -
Median household income: $90,974
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $141,516
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $181,948
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Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images/iStockphoto39. Alaska -
Median household income: $89,336
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $138,968
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $178,672
Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images/iStockphoto38. Minnesota -
Median household income: $87,556
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $136,199
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $175,112
Daniel Hanscom / Getty Images37. Rhode Island -
Median household income: $86,372
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $134,357
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $172,744
Rocky89 / Getty Images/iStockphoto36. New York -
Median household income: $84,578
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $131,567
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $169,156
AndreyKrav / iStock.com35. Delaware -
Median household income: $82,855
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $128,887
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $165,710
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tunart / Getty Images34. Illinois -
Median household income: $81,702
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $127,093
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $163,404
Shunyu Fan / Getty Images/iStockphoto33. Oregon -
Median household income: $80,426
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $125,108
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $160,852
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com32. Vermont -
Median household income: $78,024
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $121,372
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $156,048
miroslav_1 / iStock.com31. Arizona -
Median household income: $76,872
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $119,580
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $153,744
RoschetzkyIstockPhoto / iStock.com30. Texas -
Median household income: $76,292
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $118,677
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $152,584
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DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com29. Pennsylvania -
Median household income: $76,081
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $118,349
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $152,162
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images28. North Dakota -
Median household income: $75,949
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $118,144
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $151,898
Jon Mattrisch / Getty Images/iStockphoto27. Wisconsin -
Median household income: $75,670
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $117,710
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $151,340
Matt Tavares / Getty Images/iStockphoto26. Nevada -
Median household income: $75,561
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $117,540
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $151,122
Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images/iStockphoto25. Nebraska -
Median household income: $74,985
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $116,644
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $149,970
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stockphoto52 / Getty Images/iStockphoto24. Wyoming -
Median household income: $74,815
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $116,380
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $149,630
Rod Vamosi / iStock.com23. Georgia -
Median household income: $74,664
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $116,145
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $149,328
Greg Johnston / Getty Images/iStockphoto22. Idaho -
Median household income: $74,636
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $116,101
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $149,272
Christa Boaz / Getty Images21. Iowa -
Median household income: $73,147
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $113,785
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $146,294
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com20. Kansas -
Median household income: $72,639
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $112,995
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $145,278
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pabradyphoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto19. South Dakota -
Median household income: $72,421
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $112,656
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $144,842
peeterv / Getty Images18. Maine -
Median household income: $71,773
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $111,648
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $143,546
iStock / iStock.com17. Florida -
Median household income: $71,711
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $111,551
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $143,422
ehrlif / Getty Images/iStockphoto16. Michigan -
Median household income: $71,149
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $110,677
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $142,298
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto15. Indiana -
Median household income: $70,051
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $108,969
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $140,102
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Lightguard / Getty Images/iStockphoto14. Montana -
Median household income: $69,922
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $108,769
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $139,844
Kruck20 / iStock.com13. North Carolina -
Median household income: $69,904
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $108,741
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $139,808
fotoguy22 / Getty Images/iStockphoto12. Ohio -
Median household income: $69,680
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $108,392
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $139,360
peeterv / Getty Images11. Missouri -
Median household income: $68,920
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $107,210
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $137,840
Kruck20 / Getty Images10. Tennessee -
Median household income: $67,097
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $104,374
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $134,194
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Mak Studio / Getty Images9. South Carolina -
Median household income: $66,818
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $103,940
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $133,636
JTSorrell / Getty Images8. Oklahoma -
Median household income: $63,603
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $98,939
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $127,206
JT Crawford / Getty Images/iStockphoto7. Kentucky -
Median household income: $62,417
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $97,094
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $124,834
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto6. New Mexico -
Median household income: $62,125
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $96,640
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $124,250
Michael Warren / Getty Images5. Alabama -
Median household income: $62,027
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $96,487
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $124,054
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Larry Gibson / iStock.com4. Louisiana -
Median household income: $60,023
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $93,370
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $120,046
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto3. Arkansas -
Median household income: $58,773
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $91,426
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $117,546
DavidByronKeener / Getty Images/iStockphoto2. West Virginia -
Median household income: $57,917
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $90,094
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $115,834
SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto1. Mississippi -
Median household income: $54,915
Lowest end of upper-middle-class income: $85,424
Highest end of upper-middle-class income: $109,830
Methodology: For this piece we found the upper middle-class income ranges for every state by first sourcing the median household income in every state from the 2023 American Community Survey as conducted by the US Census Bureau. From there GOBankingRates was able to find the total middle-class income range by following the definition of middle-class income as two-thirds to double the income of an area. From there GOBankingRates was able to determine each state’s upper middle-class income range. All data was collected and is up to date as of Feb. 19, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much You Need To Earn To Be Upper-Middle Class in Every State
Source: AOL Money
