https://smartasset.com/data-studies/how-to-be-middle-class-americas-largest-cities-2023
I didn’t read the whole article, but the key findings totally leave out the midwest - do we assume in middle America it’s easy/easier to be middle class??
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I think so. Cities in the midwest are at or near the bottom of the list sorted by lower income limit to be in the middle class. For example, Cleveland is the lowest among the 100 largest cities with its middle class income range of $23,827 to $71,124.
I find the article confusing because they seem to define middle class as only being in the middle ranges of that specific city or town as opposed to actual wealth and opportunities. Couldn’t this mean that a certain town might just be very rich and more of the people there actually above middle class (in some regional or nation sense)? Or currently I live in a poor, small upper midwest town, so the median groups of income here could be defined as middle class in this study but the lower edge of that range would be below the poverty level- i.e. the entire town only ranges from poor to middle class with virtually NO upper-middle class or rich people?
I guess what I mean is that the article seems to want to leave “middle classes” as only something that is relative to the people living around them and not an absolute amount of money or wealth. I do see, of course, that housing costs and some other costs of living are more local and so can make it harder to live a “middle class lifestyle” in some places, but I also know too many people from California who complained about how they were barely scraping by and thought of themselves as middle class, but then sold their houses at retirement to have a massive amount of wealth to go spend wherever they like. The same people living in the “middle class” in the places I live would sell a house at retirement and have maybe 1/4 as much money, if that.
So it seems wealth should be part of this story (including housing wealth) as opposed to only income and that the concept of “middle class” should have been better defined so that we aren’t having the same conversation as always without any agreed upon terms.
That’s my take.
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It is SmartAsset… 
These articles are poorly written and usually are disguised pitches for some financial services.
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I agree with you that ideally wealth should be part of the formula. Someone who owns a large amount of assets (especially liquid assets) that don’t generate current income (perhaps by design) should be classified differently. However, data on wealth for typical families are much harder to come by than data on incomes.
I look at Pew Research rather than financial services websites to see how to define middle class by region. Their work is more comprehensive both within a region and nationally, so their findings are more accurate and less biased from a statistical standpoint.
I have no affiliation with Pew Research. Just a reader.
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That SmartAsset page defines “middle class” as 2/3 to 2 times the median pay. But cost of living may not necessarily track income levels, and individual spending choices may cause some people to feel “rich” and other “poor” on the same income.
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Ugh, I just looked more closely for instance, and they have Plano, Texas by itself. I mean, come on. That is a wealthy suburb. Of course the middle three income quintiles will be higher, but you are getting better schools and housing. It should be considered in a backdrop against the entire DFW metroplex instead!
I need my second cup of tea!
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This is what some complain about with regard to college financial aid - that only income and not location is considered. That is, parents have stated on these forums that they are middle class and need aid for college, even if they are making a salary that in most places would be considered upper income.
While someone selling a home that they have owned for a long time may get a windfall, it may not make them feel wealthy if they want to retire locally. I see that with family members in Northern California. Their homes are worth a lot, but difficult to downsize in a way that will provide much extra cash. However, they could move somewhere else and be very comfortable but maybe not very happy.
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Yes, this is definitely a problem in all areas that have HIGH housing prices, where so many may have a lot of equity but very low cash flow.
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I would disagree that someone who decides to buy a new car every two years, along with similar spending, should be classified as poorer, regardless of how they may feel.
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https://wapo.st/45YDTjV Wa Po middle class calculator
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I saw that article as well, thought it was very well done.
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My mistake - initially typed wsj when I meant it’s from WaPo