What is middle class and how do you define it? (1 Viewer)

[Krodwhodat]

In the poor thread it raised a question to me, what is middle class. I think that we will all have very different ideas. What are your thoughts?

 

[HoustonSaint68]

Hmmm, this is very non-PC for 2019 but I'll tell you what my thought was when I got married at just barely the age of 20 so many,many years ago:

If I made enough money so that my wife could be a stay-at-home mom if she wanted to, and have a path to home ownership, then I would consider myself to be financially successful.

Not sure I'd feel that differently if I were starting all over today.

 

[Saint_Ward]

The middle fifth of income.

We usually expand it to be the middle 60% of family incomes. So, like 2/3 median income to double median income. Like 45k - 140k or something.

Or you can look at it by profession. Professionals... engineers, teachers, police, nurses (not counting Nurse Practitioners), social workers, accountants, marketing, etc. Generally a lot of white collar jobs.

 

[Krodwhodat]

The middle fifth of income.

We usually expand it to be the middle 60% of family incomes. So, like 2/3 median income to double median income. Like 45k - 140k or something.

Or you can look at it by profession. Professionals... engineers, teachers, police, nurses (not counting Nurse Practitioners), social workers, accountants, marketing, etc. Generally a lot of white collar jobs.

How do you account for cost of living in states because $140k isn’t middle class in some areas

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

didn't we do this thread not that long ago?

 

[Krodwhodat]

didn't we do this thread not that long ago?

Maybe, if so I missed it.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Maybe, if so I missed it.

im sorta remembering it was a PDB thread
but with such a neutral title, search option wasn;t much help

anyway, carryon

 

[RazorOye]

How do you account for cost of living in states because $140k isn’t middle class in some areas

You said "state" - median household income in Hawaii (most expensive state to live in) is $74k. So I don't see how 140k in any state wouldn't be, at least, middle class.

But in some "areas" one million per year wouldn't be "middle"

So I'm not really sure what you're trying to establish

 

[Krodwhodat]

You said "state" - median household income in Hawaii (most expensive state to live in) is $74k. So I don't see how 140k in any state wouldn't be, at least, middle class.

But in some "areas" one million per year wouldn't be "middle"

So I'm not really sure what you're trying to establish

I should have been more specific. SF, NY, parts of CT, LAetc

 

[Krodwhodat]

im sorta remembering it was a PDB thread
but with such a neutral title, search option wasn;t much help

anyway, carryon

 

[Twyst]

Or you can look at it by profession. Professionals... engineers, teachers, police, nurses (not counting Nurse Practitioners), social workers, accountants, marketing, etc. Generally a lot of white collar jobs.

I don't think professions are a very good way to look at it as a lot of tradesman jobs pay a lot more than white collar jobs. Doesn't make much sense to say a social worker is middle class with an average salary under $50,000 while an oilfield worker or lineman is not middle class because they are blue collar but make significantly more money.

 

[Saint_Ward]

How do you account for cost of living in states because $140k isn’t middle class in some areas

Now that's the secret.

Middle class would be dictated either by median income in the specific area, or based on cost of living.

It's a real challenge. I made the comment about it in the "poverty thread" that the federal poverty level is a national average. So, it doesn't account for local cost differences. I don't recall if States give some flexibility or not based on zip code for qualifying for aid.

 

[Saint_Ward]

I don't think professions are a very good way to look at it as a lot of tradesman jobs pay a lot more than white collar jobs. Doesn't make much sense to say a social worker is middle class with an average salary under $50,000 while an oilfield worker or lineman is not middle class because they are blue collar but make significantly more money.

I don't disagree. Just one of the ways it is viewed. It can be viewed purely on a mathematical way (based on income brackets) or on types of jobs, regardless of pay.

There are various ways to look at it, since the middle class is often viewed as a "social class", not just an "economic class".

One example...

American middle class - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[efil4stnias]

are we looking at it from an economic aspect only?

 

[SystemShock]

I should have been more specific. SF, NY, parts of CT, LAetc

So if I am understanding this right, since on the other thread we touch upon the concept of all poor people not being equal, you want to go beyond averages and medians, and figure out some other standard(s) of what would qualify as "middle class" anywhere in the U.S. Is that somewhat accurate?