We tend to believe we know what “middle class” means. After all, it seems easy enough to define if we only consider income. But being a part of the middle class is more complicated than it may seem at first; factors like location and debt also play a role. For example, a person who makes $40,000 per year may be middle-class in a small, rural town. But that same income in a large coastal city would be well below the median income.

                By                    Bob Haegele

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Thus, a better way to think about the middle class is to consider how much people need to get by given all of these intersecting factors. Pew Research defines being middle-class as making 75% and 200% of the median income. By looking at the median household income figures from the most recently available U.S. census data, we’ve found just how much you’d need to earn to live comfortably in these major U.S. cities.

San Francisco, California

Median household income: $121,826

In San Francisco, the median household income is $121,826. Thus, the middle-class income ranges from $81,209 to $243,652. These numbers are higher than the middle-class income for most cities; in fact, the median income for San Francisco is the highest in the nation among the top 25 most populated cities.

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Seattle, Washington

Median household income: $110,781

The median household income in Seattle is $110,781. Here, the middle-class income range is $73,847 to $221,562. Seattle also has the second-highest median income.

Washington D.C.

Median household income: $90,088

The nation’s capital has the third-highest median household income among major U.S. cities. The range of middle-class incomes is $60,053 to $180,176, which is significantly higher than the national average range ($46,478 to $139,434).  

Denver, Colorado

Median household income: $81,630

Denver has seen expansive growth in recent years and it maintains a high level of income. The middle-class income range in Denver is $54,415 to $163,260.

Austin, Texas

Median household income: $79,542

Austin is another city that has been exploding in population growth. Its median income is only slightly less than that of Denver, with a middle-class income range of $53,023 to $159,084. 

Boston, Massachusetts

Median household income: $79,283

Boston has the sixth-highest median income in the nation, though its median is noticeably less than that of D.C. The median income puts its middle-class range at between $52,850 and $158,566. 

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Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting for this article.