This post was republished with permission from Zero Hedge
Across the United States, what qualifies as “middle class” varies widely depending on where you live.
This map, via Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, breaks down the median household income for each U.S. state, revealing sharp contrasts in earning power. It provides a snapshot of where families may feel more or less financially secure based on local income benchmarks.
The data for this visualization comes from SmartAsset.
Editor’s note: This map uses median household income as a simple indicator of the middle class in each state. True middle class status typically spans a range of incomes.
Top Earners Cluster in the Northeast
Maryland, Washington D.C., and Massachusetts lead the nation with household incomes at or above $90,000. High concentrations of federal jobs, tech firms, and elite educational institutions contribute to these numbers. According to Pew Research Center, these regions also report strong access to health care and education, reinforcing higher cost-of-living dynamics.
| Rank | State | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $90,203 |
| 2 | District Of Columbia | $90,088 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $89,645 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $89,296 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $88,465 |
| 6 | Washington | $87,820 |
| 7 | California | $85,388 |
| 8 | Utah | $84,131 |
| 9 | Virginia | $83,848 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $83,771 |
| 11 | Colorado | $82,067 |
| 12 | Alaska | $81,818 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $80,774 |
| 14 | Oregon | $77,305 |
| 15 | Illinois | $76,384 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $76,285 |
| 17 | New York | $74,314 |
| 18 | Georgia | $74,063 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $74,008 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $73,014 |
| 21 | Nevada | $72,618 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $71,412 |
| 23 | Arizona | $71,033 |
| 24 | Michigan | $69,965 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $69,478 |
| 26 | Texas | $69,430 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $67,671 |
| 28 | Delaware | $67,016 |
| 29 | Iowa | $66,122 |
| 30 | Missouri | $65,795 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $64,956 |
| 32 | Indiana | $64,806 |
| 33 | Florida | $64,666 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $64,573 |
| 35 | Kansas | $64,362 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $63,718 |
| 37 | Ohio | $61,891 |
| 38 | Maine | $61,489 |
| 39 | Montana | $59,955 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $59,862 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $59,071 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $58,845 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $58,833 |
| 44 | Vermont | $58,654 |
| 45 | Idaho | $58,208 |
| 46 | Alabama | $55,771 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $54,942 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $54,076 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $52,664 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $49,170 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $47,519 |
The South Continues to Lag Behind
Southern states like Mississippi, and Alabama have the lowest median household incomes, under $54,000. Economic mobility in these regions is often hindered by lower investment in public infrastructure and education. As Brookings notes, many Southern states also experience higher poverty rates and limited access to high-paying industries.
States with Growing Incomes
Several states in the West and Midwest—including Oregon, and Utah—are emerging with stronger income levels, typically in the $70,000-$80,000 range.
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out U.S. Workers Earning Under $17/Hour by State on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
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As a resident of N.CA I can attest to the fact that it takes more like $125k to be middle class here in the SF Bay Area. EVERYTHING costs more than LA. If you don’t make a high tech, Googlaire salary … you’re screwed. You’ll be living 6 to a 2-bed apt. and eating cheap packaged ramen.
Except if your an illegal who gets to live for free like in most western countries but that is the intended consequence to erase us.
Now they need to show the median EXPENSES of those middle class people in all the states. You will soon see why the higher earning states need that much income just to be in the so-called middle class. The taxes and housing costs alone are staggering when compared to the lower income states. It all balances out. Showing just the median middle class income is misleading.
No thanks to Omaha and Lincoln thinking their crap don’t stink.
Nebraska might rate better on a lot of lists if they didn’t have those & sanctuary cities sinkin’ ’em.