Pennsylvania: This Salary Makes You Middle Class
Have you ever wondered if your Pennsylvania income makes you middle class? Every state has a different cost of living and different middle class salary, of course. So, one study looked at each state to determine the middle class salary range for that given state.
SmartAssett conducted the study. In it, they state, “The middle class has long been considered the backbone of the American economy. But the American middle class is shrinking.” They add that, “The percentage of adults living in middle-income households in the United States fell by more than 10 percentage points over the last 50 years,” which indicates an “ongoing shrinkage of the middle class.”
As for methodology, SmartAsset calculated the bounds on middle class incomes in 100 of the largest U.S. cities, plus all 50 states, according to the study. Some big findings were that Northeastern salaries were about 20% higher than Southern salaries, and that’s even after factoring in cost of living differences. They also found that the middle class in NYC aren’t making enough income to keep up with the cost of living, which isn’t a big surprise, since the cost of living in the Big Apple is massive. They also found that if you make a whopping $300,000 in Fremont, California, you’re actually still middle class. That’s just how expensive that place is to live.
So, what’s the middle class salary range in Pennsylvania? According to the study, the lower limit for middle class in the state is $46,201, the median household income is $68,957 and the middle income upper limit $137,914. That means that even if you make $137,000 in Pennsylvania, you’re considered middle class. Find the full tally here of what makes a middle class salary in each state.