Yahoo Finance 50 Cities With the Poorest Middle Class in America: From a $25K to $40K Income
A middle-class salary was once enough to comfortably afford a car, a home and even put away some money into savings. Now, however, many Americans earning a middle-class income are finding it hard to get by.
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“The pandemic turned financial security into a luxury for many middle-class families,” said Josh Richner, founder and debt relief specialist at FaithWorks Financial. “Those who were ‘just fine’ are now living paycheck to paycheck, and many who were living paycheck to paycheck are now on the brink of financial collapse.”
One big reason for this is inflation.
“The cost of essential goods and services has risen significantly in recent years,” Richner said. “Housing prices have soared, healthcare costs continue to climb, and education expenses are at an all-time high.”
In many places, salaries have not kept up with rising prices — particularly for those in the middle class. Depending on where you live, a salary of just $25,000 could put you in the middle class based on the area’s median household earnings.
To find the cities with the lowest middle-class salaries, GOBankingRates sourced income data for the 150 biggest cities in the U.S. and calculated the salary ranges that would be considered middle-class — two-thirds to double the income of a given area. Here’s a look at the 50 cities where the middle class earns the least.
Key Findings
Cleveland is the major city with the lowest salary threshold to be considered middle class. An income of $24,847 would qualify.
Among the cities on this list, Grand Rapids, Michigan, has the highest salary threshold to be considered middle class — $41,089.
Even in the major cities with the lowest middle-class salaries, a six-figure salary is still considered middle class in 34 out of the 50 cities on this list.
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1. Cleveland
2017 median household income: $27,854
2022 median household income: $37,271
Lowest end of middle-class income: $24,847
Highest end of middle-class income: $74,542
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2. Detroit
2017 median household income: $27,838
2022 median household income: $37,761
Lowest end of middle-class income: $25,174
Highest end of middle-class income: $75,522
3. Birmingham, Alabama
2017 median household income: $33,770
2022 median household income: $42,464
Lowest end of middle-class income: $28,309
Highest end of middle-class income: $84,928
4. Springfield, Missouri
2017 median household income: $34,775
2022 median household income: $43,450
Lowest end of middle-class income: $28,967
Highest end of middle-class income: $86,900
5. Rochester, New York
2017 median household income: $32,347
2022 median household income: $44,156
Lowest end of middle-class income: $29,437
Highest end of middle-class income: $88,312
6. Toledo, Ohio
2017 median household income: $35,808
2022 median household income: $45,405
Lowest end of middle-class income: $30,270
Highest end of middle-class income: $90,810
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7. Shreveport, Louisiana
2017 median household income: $37,390
2022 median household income: $45,967
Lowest end of middle-class income: $30,645
Highest end of middle-class income: $91,934
8. Buffalo, New York
2017 median household income: $34,268
2022 median household income: $46,184
Lowest end of middle-class income: $30,789
Highest end of middle-class income: $92,368
9. Newark, New Jersey
2017 median household income: $34,826
2022 median household income: $46,460
Lowest end of middle-class income: $30,973
Highest end of middle-class income: $92,920
10. Akron, Ohio
2017 median household income: $36,223
2022 median household income: $46,596
Lowest end of middle-class income: $31,064
Highest end of middle-class income: $93,192
11. Memphis, Tennessee
2017 median household income: $38,230
2022 median household income: $48,090
Lowest end of middle-class income: $32,060
Highest end of middle-class income: $96,180
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12. Knoxville, Tennessee
2017 median household income: $36,331
2022 median household income: $48,309
Lowest end of middle-class income: $32,206
Highest end of middle-class income: $96,618
13. Mobile, Alabama
2017 median household income: $40,020
2022 median household income: $48,524
Lowest end of middle-class income: $32,349
Highest end of middle-class income: $97,048
14. Cincinnati
2017 median household income: $36,429
2022 median household income: $49,191
Lowest end of middle-class income: $32,794
Highest end of middle-class income: $98,382
15. Hialeah, Florida
2017 median household income: $31,012
2022 median household income: $49,531
Lowest end of middle-class income: $33,021
Highest end of middle-class income: $99,062
16. Milwaukee
2017 median household income: $38,289
2022 median household income: $49,733
Lowest end of middle-class income: $33,155
Highest end of middle-class income: $99,466
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17. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
2017 median household income: $40,948
2022 median household income: $50,155
Lowest end of middle-class income: $33,437
Highest end of middle-class income: $100,310
18. Augusta, Georgia
2017 median household income: $39,258
2022 median household income: $50,492
Lowest end of middle-class income: $33,661
Highest end of middle-class income: $100,984
19. New Orleans
2017 median household income: $38,721
2022 median household income: $51,116
Lowest end of middle-class income: $34,077
Highest end of middle-class income: $102,232
20. Tucson, Arizona
2017 median household income: $39,617
2022 median household income: $52,049
Lowest end of middle-class income: $34,699
Highest end of middle-class income: $104,098
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21. Tallahassee, Florida
2017 median household income: $42,418
2022 median household income: $52,899
Lowest end of middle-class income: $35,266
Highest end of middle-class income: $105,798
22. St. Louis
2017 median household income: $38,664
2022 median household income: $52,941
Lowest end of middle-class income: $35,294
Highest end of middle-class income: $105,882
23. Fayetteville, North Carolina
2017 median household income: $43,439
2022 median household income: $53,424
Lowest end of middle-class income: $35,616
Highest end of middle-class income: $106,848
24. Montgomery, Alabama
2017 median household income: $44,339
2022 median household income: $54,166
Lowest end of middle-class income: $36,111
Highest end of middle-class income: $108,332
25. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
2017 median household income: $42,219
2022 median household income: $54,416
Lowest end of middle-class income: $36,277
Highest end of middle-class income: $108,832
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26. Columbus, Georgia
2017 median household income: $43,239
2022 median household income: $54,561
Lowest end of middle-class income: $36,374
Highest end of middle-class income: $109,122
27. Miami
2017 median household income: $33,999
2022 median household income: $54,858
Lowest end of middle-class income: $36,572
Highest end of middle-class income: $109,716
28. Greensboro, North Carolina
2017 median household income: $44,978
2022 median household income: $55,051
Lowest end of middle-class income: $36,701
Highest end of middle-class income: $110,102
29. Paradise, Nevada
2017 median household income: $45,904
2022 median household income: $55,224
Lowest end of middle-class income: $36,816
Highest end of middle-class income: $110,448
30. El Paso, Texas
2017 median household income: $44,431
2022 median household income: $55,710
Lowest end of middle-class income: $37,140
Highest end of middle-class income: $111,420
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31. Tulsa, Oklahoma
2017 median household income: $44,577
2022 median household income: $56,648
Lowest end of middle-class income: $37,765
Highest end of middle-class income: $113,296
32. Philadelphia
2017 median household income: $40,649
2022 median household income: $57,537
Lowest end of middle-class income: $38,358
Highest end of middle-class income: $115,074
33. Chattanooga, Tennessee
2017 median household income: $41,911
2022 median household income: $57,703
Lowest end of middle-class income: $38,469
Highest end of middle-class income: $115,406
34. Fort Wayne, Indiana
2017 median household income: $45,853
2022 median household income: $58,233
Lowest end of middle-class income: $38,822
Highest end of middle-class income: $116,466
35. Baltimore
2017 median household income: $46,641
2022 median household income: $58,349
Lowest end of middle-class income: $38,899
Highest end of middle-class income: $116,698
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36. Little Rock, Arkansas
2017 median household income: $48,463
2022 median household income: $58,697
Lowest end of middle-class income: $39,131
Highest end of middle-class income: $117,394
37. Lubbock, Texas
2017 median household income: $47,326
2022 median household income: $58,734
Lowest end of middle-class income: $39,156
Highest end of middle-class income: $117,468
38. Indianapolis
2017 median household income: $44,709
2022 median household income: $59,110
Lowest end of middle-class income: $39,407
Highest end of middle-class income: $118,220
39. San Antonio
2017 median household income: $49,711
2022 median household income: $59,593
Lowest end of middle-class income: $39,729
Highest end of middle-class income: $119,186
40. Richmond, Virginia
2017 median household income: $42,356
2022 median household income: $59,606
Lowest end of middle-class income: $39,737
Highest end of middle-class income: $119,212
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41. Pittsburgh
2017 median household income: $44,092
2022 median household income: $60,187
Lowest end of middle-class income: $40,125
Highest end of middle-class income: $120,374
42. Houston
2017 median household income: $49,399
2022 median household income: $60,440
Lowest end of middle-class income: $40,293
Highest end of middle-class income: $120,880
43. Amarillo, Texas
2017 median household income: $51,198
2022 median household income: $60,628
Lowest end of middle-class income: $40,419
Highest end of middle-class income: $121,256
44. Wichita, Kansas
2017 median household income: $48,982
2022 median household income: $60,712
Lowest end of middle-class income: $40,475
Highest end of middle-class income: $121,424
45. Laredo, Texas
2017 median household income: $41,302
2022 median household income: $60,928
Lowest end of middle-class income: $40,619
Highest end of middle-class income: $121,856
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46. Norfolk, Virginia
2017 median household income: $47,137
2022 median household income: $60,998
Lowest end of middle-class income: $40,665
Highest end of middle-class income: $121,996
47. Providence, Rhode Island
2017 median household income: $40,366
2022 median household income: $61,365
Lowest end of middle-class income: $40,910
Highest end of middle-class income: $122,730
48. Eugene, Oregon
2017 median household income: $47,489
2022 median household income: $61,481
Lowest end of middle-class income: $40,987
Highest end of middle-class income: $122,962
49. Albuquerque, New Mexico
2017 median household income: $49,878
2022 median household income: $61,503
Lowest end of middle-class income: $41,002
Highest end of middle-class income: $123,006
50. Grand Rapids, Michigan
2017 median household income: $44,369
2022 median household income: $61,634
Lowest end of middle-class income: $41,089
Highest end of middle-class income: $123,268
Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates found the median income for all qualified cities and calculated the middle-class income range, defined as two-thirds to double the income of a given area. GOBankingRates sourced all income data from the 2022 American Community Survey as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. GOBankingRates looked at both the 150 biggest cities in terms of total households and all cities with above 10,000 total households, as sourced from the 2022 American Community Survey. For supplemental data, GOBankingRates looked at the 5-year middle-class income for every city. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 18, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 50 Cities With the Poorest Middle Class in America: From a $25K to $40K Income
