The middle class income range varies wildly by state. See the exact salary needed in your state.
| # | State | Middle Class Min ▲ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | $31,155/yr | $46,500 | 83 | A+ | |
| #2 | West Virginia | $32,160/yr | $48,000 | 84 | A+ | |
| #3 | Arkansas | $34,907/yr | $52,100 | 84 | A+ | |
| #4 | Louisiana | $35,041/yr | $52,300 | 91 | A+ | |
| #5 | New Mexico | $35,510/yr | $53,000 | 91 | A+ | |
| #6 | Kentucky | $37,252/yr | $55,600 | 87 | A | |
| #7 | Oklahoma | $37,386/yr | $55,800 | 86 | A | |
| #8 | Alabama | $37,654/yr | $56,200 | 87 | A | |
| #9 | South Carolina | $37,654/yr | $56,200 | 92 | A | |
| #10 | Indiana | $39,262/yr | $58,600 | 90 | A | |
| #11 | Ohio | $39,731/yr | $59,300 | 89 | A | |
| #12 | Tennessee | $39,999/yr | $59,700 | 91 | B+ | |
| #13 | Montana | $40,602/yr | $60,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #14 | Missouri | $40,870/yr | $61,000 | 88 | B+ | |
| #15 | North Carolina | $40,870/yr | $61,000 | 95 | B+ | |
| #16 | Kansas | $41,607/yr | $62,100 | 89 | B+ | |
| #17 | South Dakota | $41,607/yr | $62,100 | 91 | B+ | |
| #18 | Idaho | $41,741/yr | $62,300 | 97 | B+ | |
| #19 | Florida | $42,277/yr | $63,100 | 103 | B+ | |
| #20 | Iowa | $42,344/yr | $63,200 | 90 | B+ | |
| #21 | Maine | $42,344/yr | $63,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #22 | Georgia | $42,478/yr | $63,400 | 93 | B+ | |
| #23 | Michigan | $42,478/yr | $63,400 | 89 | B+ | |
| #24 | Vermont | $42,478/yr | $63,400 | 110 | B+ | |
| #25 | Nevada | $43,014/yr | $64,200 | 104 | B+ | |
| #26 | North Dakota | $43,416/yr | $64,800 | 93 | B+ | |
| #27 | Wisconsin | $43,416/yr | $64,800 | 93 | B+ | |
| #28 | Wyoming | $43,550/yr | $65,000 | 95 | B+ | |
| #29 | Arizona | $43,952/yr | $65,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #30 | Nebraska | $44,555/yr | $66,500 | 91 | B | |
| #31 | Texas | $45,091/yr | $67,300 | 93 | B | |
| #32 | Pennsylvania | $45,292/yr | $67,600 | 94 | B | |
| #33 | Delaware | $46,297/yr | $69,100 | 102 | B | |
| #34 | Oregon | $47,704/yr | $71,200 | 113 | B | |
| #35 | Rhode Island | $47,704/yr | $71,200 | 109 | B | |
| #36 | Illinois | $48,374/yr | $72,200 | 93 | B | |
| #37 | Utah | $50,652/yr | $75,600 | 103 | C | |
| #38 | New York | $50,853/yr | $75,900 | 139 | C | |
| #39 | Minnesota | $52,059/yr | $77,700 | 97 | C | |
| #40 | Alaska | $52,126/yr | $77,800 | 127 | C | |
| #41 | Colorado | $53,734/yr | $80,200 | 105 | D | |
| #42 | Virginia | $54,002/yr | $80,600 | 103 | D | |
| #43 | Washington | $55,007/yr | $82,100 | 115 | D | |
| #44 | New Hampshire | $55,811/yr | $83,300 | 112 | D | |
| #45 | Connecticut | $56,146/yr | $83,800 | 121 | D | |
| #46 | California | $56,883/yr | $84,900 | 142 | D | |
| #47 | Hawaii | $56,883/yr | $84,900 | 190 | D | |
| #48 | New Jersey | $58,759/yr | $87,700 | 121 | F | |
| #49 | Massachusetts | $60,099/yr | $89,700 | 135 | F | |
| #50 | Maryland | $60,434/yr | $90,200 | 118 | F |
Based on our analysis of middle class thresholds across all 50 states, Mississippi ranks #1 with $31,155/yr, while Maryland ranks last at $60,434/yr. The national average is $45,104/yr.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: $29,279/yr. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your middle class thresholds. Use our salary after tax calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
Mississippi ranks #1 with $31,155/yr. West Virginia and Arkansas round out the top 3.
Maryland ranks last (#50) with $60,434/yr. Massachusetts and New Jersey are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is $45,104/yr. The median is $43,416/yr.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.