Have you ever wondered what middle-class income looks like in the D.C. area?
The SmartAsset “What it Takes To Be Middle Class in America’s Largest Cities” study used census data to sort out the median household incomes for 2023 in the U.S.
Right at the top of the list are Maryland and D.C.
Maryland’s median household income is $90,203. That means the lower threshold for middle class is $60,436, and the upper end is $180,406, according to the study.
D.C.’s median household income is only slightly lower at $90,088, making the range to be considered middle class between $60,359 and $180,176.
Virginia is much further down the list in 12th place, with a median income of $80,963, meaning a household has to make between $54,245.21 and $161,508 to be considered in the middle class.
Arlington is the exception to the numbers for the D.C. area. It ranks No. 3 in the country for the cost to be in the middle class with a median household income of $125,651, meaning residents have to make at least $84,186 to be considered middle class. The upper threshold for middle class in Arlington is $251,302.
In Arlington, about 76% of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, which is more than double the national average, according to SmartAsset.
The highest middle class ceiling in the country is in the town of Fremont, California. In Fremont, the median household income is $155,968. To qualify for middle-class designation, a household has to earn at least a six-digit income of $104,499.
At the other end of the list is Cleveland, Ohio: the lowest middle class ceiling in the 100 cities studied. In Cleveland, the median household income is $35,562 with the range to be in the middle class being from $23,827 to $71,124.
The study comes as the middle class is getting smaller; over the past 50 years, there has been more than a 10% drop in those who fit the middle-class designation.
