What IS middle-class?

[AlHayatZween 2]

i don't know what middle class is now.

my thoughts - base it on the median wage for your city.

i'm afraid to do the calculations to see how low on the totem pole i've tumbled...

[Heracles 417]

Depending on where you are but I would say in a average place, middle class for a family of 2 +2 would be anyone earning between $80k to $150K.

Booyah's scale Family: 2 +2

Poverty: < $50K

Lower Middle class: $50k to $80K

Middle Class: $80K to $150K

Upper Middle class: $150k to $300K

Wealthy: $300k to $15 million

Rich: $15 to $100 million

Mega rich: $100 million and up

[Ban Hammer 13,345]

Depending on where you are but I would say in a average place, middle class for a family of 2 +2 would be anyone earning between $80k to $150K.

Booyah's scale Family: 2 +2

Poverty: < $50K

Lower Middle class: $50k to $80K

Middle Class: $80K to $150K

Upper Middle class: $150k to $300K

Wealthy: $300k to $15 million

Rich: $15 to $100 million

Mega rich: $100 million and up

except that's wildly inaccurate if you apply it to nyc and other high cost of living areas.

[Marilyn. 340]

based on the median wage in LA, I guess we would be considered middle class...

[AlHayatZween 2]

Depending on where you are but I would say in a average place, middle class for a family of 2 +2 would be anyone earning between $80k to $150K.

Booyah's scale Family: 2 +2

Poverty: < $50K

Lower Middle class: $50k to $80K

Middle Class: $80K to $150K

Upper Middle class: $150k to $300K

Wealthy: $300k to $15 million

Rich: $15 to $100 million

Mega rich: $100 million and up

Oh...

But we just moved here...! and i'm back in school, surely we'll be back up the ladder in no time?? In NYC, we were okay...

Okay, i'll stop airing all my issues...

[Heracles 417]

Depending on where you are but I would say in a average place, middle class for a family of 2 +2 would be anyone earning between $80k to $150K.

Booyah's scale Family: 2 +2

Poverty: < $50K

Lower Middle class: $50k to $80K

Middle Class: $80K to $150K

Upper Middle class: $150k to $300K

Wealthy: $300k to $15 million

Rich: $15 to $100 million

Mega rich: $100 million and up

except that's wildly inaccurate if you apply it to nyc and other high cost of living areas.

It's accurate for the average Joe. NYC is hardly even close to representing America.

The US poverty guidelines are an absolute joke, $22K for a family of four.

Edited October 10, 2009 by Booyah!

[Ban Hammer 13,345]

based on the median wage in LA, I guess we would be considered middle class...

The median income for a household was $36,687, and for a family was $39,942.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles,_California

Depending on where you are but I would say in a average place, middle class for a family of 2 +2 would be anyone earning between $80k to $150K.

Booyah's scale Family: 2 +2

Poverty: < $50K

Lower Middle class: $50k to $80K

Middle Class: $80K to $150K

Upper Middle class: $150k to $300K

Wealthy: $300k to $15 million

Rich: $15 to $100 million

Mega rich: $100 million and up

except that's wildly inaccurate if you apply it to nyc and other high cost of living areas.

It's accurate for the average Joe. NYC is hardly even close to representing America.

The US poverty guidelines are an absolute joke, $22K for a family of four.

my point is you are assigning arbitrary numbers while the standard of living varies wildly in the usa.

in arkansas, your lower middle class would be moved up a few notches.

[Marilyn. 340]

according to AOL it is about 48,000 ... which still means we are within the median range

http://jobs.aol.com/jobs-by-city/los-angeles-ca-jobs

I think the stats on the wiki page are from 2000

based on the median wage in LA, I guess we would be considered middle class...

The median income for a household was $36,687, and for a family was $39,942.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles,_California

Depending on where you are but I would say in a average place, middle class for a family of 2 +2 would be anyone earning between $80k to $150K.

Booyah's scale Family: 2 +2

Poverty: < $50K

Lower Middle class: $50k to $80K

Middle Class: $80K to $150K

Upper Middle class: $150k to $300K

Wealthy: $300k to $15 million

Rich: $15 to $100 million

Mega rich: $100 million and up

except that's wildly inaccurate if you apply it to nyc and other high cost of living areas.

It's accurate for the average Joe. NYC is hardly even close to representing America.

The US poverty guidelines are an absolute joke, $22K for a family of four.

my point is you are assigning arbitrary numbers while the standard of living varies wildly in the usa.

in arkansas, your lower middle class would be moved up a few notches.

Edited October 10, 2009 by Marilyn.

[Ban Hammer 13,345]

I think the stats on the wiki page are from 2000

wouldn't surprise me, it's all part of that vast right wing conspiracy.

[Marilyn. 340]

I think the stats on the wiki page are from 2000

wouldn't surprise me, it's all part of that vast right wing conspiracy.

actually it says so right on the page

The 2000 census recorded

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles,_...ia#Demographics

[Der Bücherwurm 1]

You would really need to list all 50 states and assign a value for each one. A person in MS making $100,000 would be wealthy. However, you would kind of struggle in a major city on 100k if you are a family of 4.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

IMO, Middle Class is defined by certain economic freedoms that are typically shared by those who are not in poverty, nor have an abundance of wealth....which are also relative to the general population. Do you own your home? Do you have adequate insurance? Are you able to go on vacation annually? Is your debt to income ratio sustainable?

[Gemmie 142]

I have never been middle class... yet my professor once said that if you're at university, you're middle class.

In England, my family was raised on welfare as my dad was earning a cleaner's salary for support a family of 4. It really taught me the value of money, I can tell you that. (On a side note, my brother has just had his first child and is relying on welfare to support him, even though he knew he couldn't afford it.. I find that interesting, how families get used to living on welfare)

Currently, we're looking at just making the poverty level for USCIS guidelines. As long as we can live comfortably (and by that, I mean feel comfortable with paying bills and supporting ourselves), I'm happy.

Edited October 10, 2009 by Gemmie

[KarenCee 3]

I'm thinking that we're poverty level since with our combined incomes we barely scratch $34,000 at the moment yet we're paying our bills and receive no assistance. Once we're done with school and degrees in hand (and jobs to match) we *should* be c.oser to "middle class". Wow. Kinda makes me wanna go on and finish that graduate degree and specialist degree after all.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Degree can also be discriminate towards different majors. Say a graduate degree is sociology will probably on get to 50k. Whereas, a graduate degree in Engineering will get 90k or more...So, choose wisely. But, if your undergrad degree is from sociology, chances are you will probably not get accepted to the school of engineering.