What do you consider middle class for the DMV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with your list is that it's based on a concept of the middle class from 1955. When houses were cheaper, "travel" meant a car ride to the beach (only rich people and business travelers flew), college was waaaaaaay cheaper, and many people's retirement plan was "move in with my kids."

Now real estate is incredibly expensive (especially in DC, where these teachers live), travel is costly whether you're driving to the beach or flying to Europe (in some cases a trip to Europe will cost less than a week at the beach), and college is so expensive it's laughable.

In order to do those things in the current economy, you need to be well above MC, with an HHI of at least 200k, probably more like 300-400k in this area because of cost of housing. And that's not middle class.

That's why it's called the "middle class squeeze." Actual middle class people (like me, we're a family of 3 in DC with an HHI of 140k) are struggling to buy homes, which is historically how middle class people built wealth and economic stability. And even if they can buy a home, they struggle to save for college and retirement (especially simultaneously) while also dealing with rising costs of basics like food and gas, as well as what used to be middle class staples, like modest vacations.

DC is working hard to eliminate its middle class. That's why most teachers live outside the district where they can afford homes with good schools while still having enough money left over for the occasional dinner out or a long weekend in Philadelphia or a spring break trip to Disneyworld with the kids. DC is becoming a city where only wealthy people can afford to live comfortably, and where any public funds to help the non-wealthy need to be channeled to people in true poverty because basics are so expensive that there is nothing left over to help working and middle class people with a leg up.

This is a great answer. I'll add that our view of what is middle class/"normal" is skewed because of how on-display our lives are now. People who post about their vacations, homes, etc. are more likely to have nicer/fancier versions of these things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

[Anonymous]

350k with one or two kids, you can be comfortably middle class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

Middle class is not comfortable

You live in a bad neighborhood
You eat Mac and cheese from a box
You never eat out or get Starbucks
A vacation is driving to the beach and camping

That’s middle class and a ton of people do it in the DMV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

Middle class is not comfortable

You live in a bad neighborhood
You eat Mac and cheese from a box
You never eat out or get Starbucks
A vacation is driving to the beach and camping

That’s middle class and a ton of people do it in the DMV

20903 is a middle class neighborhood (generally)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

Middle class is not comfortable

You live in a bad neighborhood
You eat Mac and cheese from a box
You never eat out or get Starbucks
A vacation is driving to the beach and camping

That’s middle class and a ton of people do it in the DMV

NP..

You can be middle class and live in a decent neighborhood, and eat more nutritious foods at home.

What you describe is lower middle class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

I make about 100k and have a normal, middle class lifestyle and net worth around 2 mil.

- Bought house in early 2000's in the burbs
- Drive beater
- Single + only one child

If I lived in a trendier neighborhood or had more kids, I would have definitely been broke, especially during childcare years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

Middle class is not comfortable

You live in a bad neighborhood
You eat Mac and cheese from a box
You never eat out or get Starbucks
A vacation is driving to the beach and camping

That’s middle class and a ton of people do it in the DMV

NP..

You can be middle class and live in a decent neighborhood, and eat more nutritious foods at home.

What you describe is lower middle class.

Agree on this. MC is paying all the bills and living ok. Remember not all that long ago people aspired to MC not UMC.

It may be that this area is too expensive the best thing people can do is move. That is the way it is supposed to work.

MC is decent house in far out commute land; decent food; vacation; yes eat out from time to time; and some retirement and college but not enough. Less than that is LMC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

I make about 100k and have a normal, middle class lifestyle and net worth around 2 mil.

- Bought house in early 2000's in the burbs
- Drive beater
- Single + only one child

If I lived in a trendier neighborhood or had more kids, I would have definitely been broke, especially during childcare years.

This is the only reason you can do it. “Trendier neighborhood” has nothing to do with it. You got in before housing exploded.

How much of your net worth is from house appreciation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is not middle class lifestyle.

What do you consider a middle class lifestyle?

Own home
No retirement saving but maybe retirement from work
No college savings
Working poor
Vacation at local beach is a stretch

This but camping or cheap vacation every few years. Beach is expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

We have no issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

I make about 100k and have a normal, middle class lifestyle and net worth around 2 mil.

- Bought house in early 2000's in the burbs
- Drive beater
- Single + only one child

If I lived in a trendier neighborhood or had more kids, I would have definitely been broke, especially during childcare years.

This is the only reason you can do it. “Trendier neighborhood” has nothing to do with it. You got in before housing exploded.

How much of your net worth is from house appreciation?

I wasn't including my primary residence. I think the original house I bought was about 200k, and is now valued at 400k. Another big factor is not having to commute to DC, which would have made my life hellish. Most of my coworkers make the same salary but don't have a pot to piss in because they were never willing to make sacrifices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:350k with one or two kids, you can be comfortably middle class.

Who know, a 91st percentile house hold income is now required to be comfortably middle class. I guess the word middle no longer has any meaning

[Anonymous]

Two workers making $200k-$300k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle class is $70K -$120K

Where? OP clearly states in the DMV and I can't imagine anyone surviving on that here. Not living comfortably.

Middle class is not comfortable

You live in a bad neighborhood
You eat Mac and cheese from a box
You never eat out or get Starbucks
A vacation is driving to the beach and camping

That’s middle class and a ton of people do it in the DMV

NP..

You can be middle class and live in a decent neighborhood, and eat more nutritious foods at home.

What you describe is lower middle class.

What you describe is upper middle class