Around half the American population is considered middle class, according to the most recent Pew Research data. But being middle class looks different depending on where you are.
Pew’s commonly used definition of middle class sets the range of middle income salaries between two-thirds and double the median salary for a given area. That means you can earn $100,000 and be considered middle class in some locales, but not others.
In fact, middle class income ranges vary widely across the largest 100 U.S. cities, according to a new study from SmartAsset. Fremont, California, has the highest-earning middle class with those earning up to $311,936 still falling in the middle-income range there. That’s more than $50,000 higher than the next city’s upper limit.
SmartAsset used a variation of Pew’s middle class calculation to determine where middle class Americans are making the most money. Naturally, places with higher median incomes — like many cities in California — will have higher-earning middle classes.
Three cities near or within California’s Silicon Valley — Fremont, San Jose and San Francisco — have some of the highest-earning middle classes in the country. That makes sense, as the tech industry has earned a reputation for its high-paying roles.
These are the 10 U.S. cities with the highest middle class income thresholds:
1. Fremont, California
- Middle income lower limit: $104,498
- Middle income upper limit: $311,936
2. San Jose, California
- Middle income lower limit: $84,673
- Middle income upper limit: $252,754
3. Arlington, Virginia
- Middle income lower limit: $84,186
- Middle income upper limit: $251,302
4. San Francisco
- Middle income lower limit: $81,623
- Middle income upper limit: $243,652
5. Seattle
- Middle income lower limit: $74,223
- Middle income upper limit: $221,562
6. Irvine, California
- Middle income lower limit: $70,869
- Middle income upper limit: $211,548
7. Gilbert, Arizona
- Middle income lower limit: $70,217
- Middle income upper limit: $209,604
8….
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