Are you considered middle class in California? Use this income calculator to find out
Are you part of California’s middle class?
A recent Pew Research Center analysis found that more than half of U.S. adults live in middle-income households.
However, the income range varies depending on your location and household size.
Here’s how to find out which income class you belong to in California:
What is considered middle class in the US?
The Pew Research Center analysis found that the estimated share of adults who live in middle-income households varies widely across the 254 metropolitan areas it examined.
In order to be considered middle class, the average American family of three had to earn between $60,882 to $182,646 a year in 2024, according to the U.S. Labor Department’s inflation calculator.
San Jose had the lowest proportion of middle-class households overall at 42%, the research center’s analysis revealed.
Nearly 41% of San Jose’s population was considered upper class — the highest out of 254 metropolitan areas, the research center found.
Olympia, Washington, boasted the highest percentage of middle-class households at 66%, with about 20% of households considered lower income and 14% in the upper class.
In Bismarck, North Dakota, only about 16% of adults live in lower-income households, making it the lowest rate among the cities analyzed.
Laredo, Texas, had the highest proportion of lower-income households: 46%.
Are you considered middle class in California?
To see where you stand in California’s income distribution, use the Pew Research Center’s income calculator.
Enter your location, household income and the number of people in your household.
Is the American middle class shrinking?
In September, personal finance site MoneyGeek determined that the middle class has been shrinking across the United States.
Between 2017 and 2022, 61% of the 597 cities reviewed by MoneyGeek experienced a notable decline in the size of their middle class populations.
In California, these cities saw the largest declines in middle-class households during that time period:
- Yorba Linda
- Union City
- Bellflower
- Castro Valley
- Daly City
- Newport Beach
- Citrus Heights
- Santa Clara
This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Are you considered middle class in California? Use this income calculator to find out."
