AUSTIN, Texas — The American middle class once represented a comfortable and modest lifestyle, but that dream has become more expensive in recent years.
New data shows that the income required to be considered middle class has risen in the U.S. due to inflation and shifting wages.
While the salary required to be considered middle class varies from city to city, a new study from SmartAsset shows that even six-figure salaries are now considered middle-income in some areas.
Cities like Arlington, Virginia, set the highest bar for the middle class threshold with a salary range of $93,470 to $280,438. Meanwhile, the low-end middle class salary in Detroit, Michigan, starts at $25,384 and ranges up to $76,160.
What does it take to be middle class in Austin?
Austin ranked 18th in the nation for middle-class incomes. The study shows that about $60,995 qualifies as the lower end of a middle-class salary in Austin, with $183,002 being the upper range.
According to SmartAsset, the middle class was defined using a Pew Research formula, which includes anyone earning between two-thirds and twice the median U.S. income. They then analyzed income levels in 100 major cities and all 50 states.
What does it take to be middle class in Texas?
High-income city salaries like Austin and Plano contributed to Texas ranking 23rd nationally for middle class income. However, lower-income cities like Lubbock, El Paso and Laredo helped balance the state’s overall median middle-class income.
The lower-end salary considered to be middle class in Texas was $50,515, while the upper-end was more than $151,000 a year.
Another recent study from GOBankingRates showed what salaries were needed to “live comfortably” in several Texas cities.
Austin was the only city in Texas that required a six-figure salary to live comfortably in. Here’s how the rest of the state stacked up:
- Austin: $113,852
- Irving: $86,378
- Dallas: $82,935
- Arlington: $82,133
- Garland: $79,924
- San Antonio: $70,420
- Corpus Christi: $64,566
- Laredo: $63,996
- Lubbock: $62,231