What is considered middle class? It might take more money than you think to reach this income tier. The Pew Research Center defines middle class, or middle-income households, as those with incomes that are two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income.
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However, because the cost of living and average income varies so widely from state to state, the income needed to be "middle class" in one state could be much more or less than what it takes to be middle class in another. Using Pew's definition of middle class, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2018 American Community Survey to determine how much two-, three- and four-person families need to earn in every state to qualify for this classification.
Find out the states where it's easiest to be middle class.
SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $37,172.94 to $110,964
3-person family middle-class income range: $42,604.63 to $127,178
4-person family middle-class income range: $52,438.89 to $156,534
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filo / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $56,330.92 to $168,152
3-person family middle-class income range: $60,428.64 to $180,384
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,665.26 to $207,956
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Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,284.37 to $126,222
3-person family middle-class income range: $45,197.53 to $134,918
4-person family middle-class income range: $53,119.61 to $158,566
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DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $35,087.23 to $104,738
3-person family middle-class income range: $38,855.31 to $115,986
4-person family middle-class income range: $46,507.38 to $138,828
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adamkaz / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $50,117.34 to $149,604
3-person family middle-class income range: $54,870.99 to $163,794
4-person family middle-class income range: $62,647.68 to $187,008
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,695.19 to $154,314
3-person family middle-class income range: $57,772.76 to $172,456
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,509.20 to $201,520
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DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $56,695.40 to $169,240
3-person family middle-class income range: $66,263 to $197,800
4-person family middle-class income range: $80,839.52 to $241,312
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DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $47,450.07 to $141,642
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,792.91 to $166,546
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,502.50 to $201,500
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Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,789.96 to $118,776
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,393.89 to $129,534
4-person family middle-class income range: $51,789.66 to $154,596
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $40,845.21 to $121,926
3-person family middle-class income range: $46,002.20 to $137,320
4-person family middle-class income range: $53,740.03 to $160,418
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Art Wager / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,397.71 to $153,426
3-person family middle-class income range: $61,821.57 to $184,542
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,842.14 to $208,484
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Charles Knowles / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,885.10 to $119,060
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,232.42 to $129,052
4-person family middle-class income range: $50,060.39 to $149,434
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $47,116.41 to $140,646
3-person family middle-class income range: $54,310.87 to $162,122
4-person family middle-class income range: $65,412.77 to $195,262
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Purdue9394 / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $40,695.80 to $121,480
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,411.21 to $141,526
4-person family middle-class income range: $55,750.03 to $166,418
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Davel5957 / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,792.18 to $133,708
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,367.56 to $153,336
4-person family middle-class income range: $61,254.08 to $182,848
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Davel5957 / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,103.42 to $131,652
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,075.80 to $149,480
4-person family middle-class income range: $58,316.13 to $174,078
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Davel5957 / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $36,106.97 to $107,782
3-person family middle-class income range: $42,429.09 to $126,654
4-person family middle-class income range: $52,059 to $155,400
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Jorg Hackermann / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $36,315.34 to $108,404
3-person family middle-class income range: $42,047.19 to $125,514
4-person family middle-class income range: $53,242.89 to $158,934
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,119.55 to $125,730
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,917.32 to $151,992
4-person family middle-class income range: $60,412.56 to $180,336
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Melpomenem / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $58,147.96 to $173,576
3-person family middle-class income range: $68,045.87 to $203,122
4-person family middle-class income range: $80,429.48 to $240,088
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $54,438.17 to $162,502
3-person family middle-class income range: $68,368.81 to $204,086
4-person family middle-class income range: $83,974.45 to $250,670
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RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,073.68 to $122,608
3-person family middle-class income range: $49,233.61 to $146,966
4-person family middle-class income range: $60,088.28 to $179,368
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YinYang / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $50,252.01 to $150,006
3-person family middle-class income range: $60,824.61 to $181,566
4-person family middle-class income range: $72,837.71 to $217,426
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DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $33,585.09 to $100,254
3-person family middle-class income range: $36,874.79 to $110,074
4-person family middle-class income range: $44,646.79 to $133,274
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Josh_Weinstock / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $40,137.02 to $119,812
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,224.28 to $140,968
4-person family middle-class income range: $56,973.45 to $170,070
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Jon Bilous / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,358.43 to $123,458
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,905.67 to $143,002
4-person family middle-class income range: $57,155.02 to $170,612
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benkrut / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $45,617.62 to $136,172
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,282.47 to $153,082
4-person family middle-class income range: $60,474.87 to $180,522
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LPETTET / Getty Images 2-person family middle-class income range: $42,436.46 to $126,676
3-person family middle-class income range: $46,585.10 to $139,060
4-person family middle-class income range: $52,754.46 to $157,476
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DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,969.89 to $155,134
3-person family middle-class income range: $63,278.82 to $188,892
4-person family middle-class income range: $77,816.48 to $232,288
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hanusst / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $54,144.71 to $161,626
3-person family middle-class income range: $67,765.81 to $202,286
4-person family middle-class income range: $82,698.10 to $246,860
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DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $38,553.14 to $115,084
3-person family middle-class income range: $38,622.15 to $115,290
4-person family middle-class income range: $43,667.92 to $130,352
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frankpeters / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $46,597.83 to $139,098
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,155.74 to $164,644
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,252.59 to $200,754
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,766.51 to $118,706
3-person family middle-class income range: $44,938.24 to $134,144
4-person family middle-class income range: $54,094.46 to $161,476
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DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $50,524.70 to $150,820
3-person family middle-class income range: $56,369.11 to $168,266
4-person family middle-class income range: $67,521.93 to $201,558
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traveler1116 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $41,263.96 to $123,176
3-person family middle-class income range: $48,556.91 to $144,946
4-person family middle-class income range: $58,955.98 to $175,988
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,604.37 to $118,222
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,061.57 to $128,542
4-person family middle-class income range: $49,231.60 to $146,960
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zhudifeng / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,341.27 to $132,362
3-person family middle-class income range: $50,984.32 to $152,192
4-person family middle-class income range: $59,710.40 to $178,240
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Pgiam / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $43,328.90 to $129,340
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,888.10 to $160,860
4-person family middle-class income range: $64,841.26 to $193,556
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SeanPavonePhoto / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $48,213.20 to $143,920
3-person family middle-class income range: $55,043.85 to $164,310
4-person family middle-class income range: $69,286.71 to $206,826
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Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $39,337.04 to $117,424
3-person family middle-class income range: $42,692.40 to $127,440
4-person family middle-class income range: $51,590 to $154,000
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DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,333.90 to $132,340
3-person family middle-class income range: $49,529.08 to $147,848
4-person family middle-class income range: $57,928.87 to $172,922
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Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $38,167.22 to $113,932
3-person family middle-class income range: $43,790.53 to $130,718
4-person family middle-class income range: $51,220.83 to $152,898
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $43,321.53 to $129,318
3-person family middle-class income range: $47,581.39 to $142,034
4-person family middle-class income range: $54,994.94 to $164,164
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AndreyKrav / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,442.44 to $132,664
3-person family middle-class income range: $51,330.71 to $153,226
4-person family middle-class income range: $57,409.62 to $171,372
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DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $46,184.44 to $137,864
3-person family middle-class income range: $54,231.14 to $161,884
4-person family middle-class income range: $63,166.26 to $188,556
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SeanPavonePhoto / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,174.60 to $152,760
3-person family middle-class income range: $59,441.06 to $177,436
4-person family middle-class income range: $70,116.84 to $209,304
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SEASTOCK / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $51,331.38 to $153,228
3-person family middle-class income range: $58,312.78 to $174,068
4-person family middle-class income range: $68,185.23 to $203,538
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Shutterstock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $34,203.50 to $102,100
3-person family middle-class income range: $41,735.64 to $124,584
4-person family middle-class income range: $49,760.90 to $148,540
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Ron_Thomas / iStock.com 2-person family middle-class income range: $44,306.43 to $132,258
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,190.63 to $158,778
4-person family middle-class income range: $64,167.91 to $191,546
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DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2-person family middle-class income range: $47,764.30 to $142,580
3-person family middle-class income range: $53,187.95 to $158,770
4-person family middle-class income range: $61,159.61 to $182,566
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Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting of this article.
Methodology: GOBankingRates found how much the middle class earns in every state by analyzing the U.S. Census Bureau's 2018 American Community Survey data to determine how much a two-, three- and four-person middle-class family earns. Pew Research Center defines middle class as making two-thirds (67%) to double (200%) the national median income. For this study, GOBankingRates assumed that a middle-class family earns two-thirds to double the median income for a family of its size in its state. In order to find out how much a middle-class family is earning, GOBankingRates multiplied each median income by 0.67 for the lower limit and by 2 for the upper limit. Data is accurate as of June 22, 2020.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : What Income Level Is Considered Middle Class in Your State?
