Who or What Do You Consider to be "Middle Class"?

[Anonymous]

I have been reading this discussion on another thread, and found this very good article from a year ago, which seems to hit on the key factors in deciding what makes a person feel "middle class" in the US.

There does not seem to be a government definition or general consensus for "middle class". However, no matter how much a person makes, the issue of choosing a home (which may possibly have been overpriced) based on its location in a perceived "good" school district means that people are paying perhaps more in a mortgage than people who did not choose to live in that area.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21272238

[Anonymous]

Here's a total quant answer to feed the conversation...

2008 HUD Family Incomes for the DC Metro Area:

Bottom 10% 31,600
Bottom 20% 49,800
Bottom 30% 66,800
Bottom 40% 82,700
Median Inc. 99,000 *****
Top 40% 117,400
Top 30% 138,900
Top 20% 169,200
Top 10% 223,400

***** The median income is where half have more and half have less, and that number is $99,000 for the DC Metro Area. A decent range of incomes for "middle class" migh be the middle 40% of incomes. So lower middle class in the DC area would be from $66,800 to $99,000, and upper middle class would be from $99,000 to $138,900.

[Anonymous]

What a nice analytical answer!

[Anonymous]

It's remarkable to me that my family just at the top end of the scale (i.e., just a bit north of $223K), but we certainly don't feel wealthy. Middle class neighborhood, daycare, max out 401Ks, and regular Target runs. I'm not suggesting that we feel like we're scaping by, but we're not taking lavish vacations, buying $60K cars, or even investing in other income producing ventures because there just isn't enough cash to do so.

[Anonymous]

I agree, and I hope the cursing poster has gone to sleep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's remarkable to me that my family just at the top end of the scale (i.e., just a bit north of $223K), but we certainly don't feel wealthy. Middle class neighborhood, daycare, max out 401Ks, and regular Target runs. I'm not suggesting that we feel like we're scaping by, but we're not taking lavish vacations, buying $60K cars, or even investing in other income producing ventures because there just isn't enough cash to do so.

If it's that tight for you, imagine what life is like for the folks in the lower half of the income distribution!

I'm curious what you consider a "middle class neighborhood" though - perhaps your housing costs are a lot higher than many of those other families?

Remember that there are a lot of renters in the income distribution, and a lot of people living in lower cost parts of the Metro area (on the outskirts, or less desirable areas). The benefit of living in a less desirable area is that your housing costs are lower too!

[Anonymous]

If you truly live in a middle class neighborhood, according to the stats posted, then most of the people in your neighborhood make somewhere around $99,000. Which would mean housing prices might be in the $300K range. I seriously doubt that many DCUM folks live in "middle class" neighborhoods. You can look at the DCUM survey and see that the vast majority of us are not middle income -- again, according to the stats posted above. There might be other statistics that calculate things differently.

I consider my family middle class. We fall into the middle income range, and we live in a neighborhood where single family homes cost $200-$300K. My guess is that the renters in my area make far less than $99K, since rents are very cheap around here compared to other DC area rents.

[Anonymous]

You are middle class if you live in a nice home, but drive an older car.

It's just that simple.

You are upper class if you live in a nice home and drive an expensive car

You are lower class if you live in an apartment and drive an expensive car.

If you live in an apartment and drive an older car - you are probably just out of college or a single mom.

[Anonymous]

I live in a middle class neighborhood. Houses run from $200,000 to $300,000. My friends and neighbors are: police officers, school teachers, social workers, guidance couselors, TSA worker, nurse, forester, respiration therapist.

There are apartments nearby-- most of the people there I would say have what I consider to be "working class" jobs: house cleaning, day laborer in the construction field, waitress, factory worker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in a middle class neighborhood. Houses run from $200,000 to $300,000. My friends and neighbors are: police officers, school teachers, social workers, guidance couselors, TSA worker, nurse, forester, respiration therapist.

There are apartments nearby-- most of the people there I would say have what I consider to be "working class" jobs: house cleaning, day laborer in the construction field, waitress, factory worker.

This is so silly. Even if you limit your arguments to renters, living in an apartment does not equal lower/working class. Some people just do not want to buy. Also, you guys have not seen the rents in most of Manhattan. Before we moved to DC we rented an apartment in NY and werepaying $4,000 a month. I bet this is more than the average mortgage in a middle class nabe. These labels are just plain silly.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you are right, renting an apartment does not mean someone is working class.

However, in the are in which I live (close in suburb of DC), I would guess that the majority of renters in the apartment complex near my town are generally working what I at least consider to be "working class" jobs. I am not sure how "working class" is defined, however, in general I think of working class as having not as much security as a "middle class" job -- people who are paid on an hourly basis, who are paid minimum wage, and who usually do not have unions or health care benefits.

[Anonymous]

The corelation of type of housing one lives in has less to do with income/class and more to do with the type of housing available and the cost. You working neighbors are likely in apartment because that is what's available. Put these same people in upstate NY or parts of Florida and they would be in houses and some would not be renting either.

Likewise if you go to parts of Brooklyn NY (Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope come to mind), you will find families earning over $100K living in rented apartments because they cannot afford to buy the available housing stock - multiple story brownstone that cost close to $2million or luxing condos that run just as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are middle class if you live in a nice home, but drive an older car.

It's just that simple.

You are upper class if you live in a nice home and drive an expensive car

You are lower class if you live in an apartment and drive an expensive car.

If you live in an apartment and drive an older car - you are probably just out of college or a single mom.

Before I got married I lived in an apartment and either took taxis or hired cars. What am I?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before I got married I lived in an apartment and either took taxis or hired cars. What am I?

A smart urbanite.

[Anonymous]

It's remarkable to me that my family just at the top end of the scale (i.e., just a bit north of $223K), but we certainly don't feel wealthy. Middle class neighborhood, daycare, max out 401Ks, and regular Target runs. I'm not suggesting that we feel like we're scaping by, but we're not taking lavish vacations, buying $60K cars, or even investing in other income producing ventures because there just isn't enough cash to do so.

This is us too although depending on the year (DH is in sales) we would usually fall closer to $200 K. The idea that we'd be considered "wealthy" should baffle anyone that sees me driving up in my 1996 used VW sedan to my small 1980's siding-covered townhouse in our Glenmont (read: certainly not schwanky; schools are a bit iffy) neighborhood. We're far from poor, but we're certainly FAR from rich too.