How do I know if I am middle class?

[Anonymous]

Is everyone middle class? That doesn't really make sense because of the word middle. What is below that? Low class? Under class? How do I know where I fall? Should I just pick what I want?

[Anonymous]

Eh, I just refer to myself as a poor.

[Anonymous]

Yes pick what you want-- that's what everyone does regardless of what the numbers are. Feel free to also make up qualifiers like "lower upper middle class" if you have a maid but not a chauffeur.

[Anonymous]

above 100k below 450k

[Anonymous]

When you go on vacation, do you stay at the Ritz, a Comfort Inn or a Howard Johnson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:above 100k below 450k

um... no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:above 100k below 450k

Tehehehehe! Joke post, right???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you go on vacation, do you stay at the Ritz, a Comfort Inn or a Howard Johnson?

Meh, this is no indicator. I know plenty of people who spend absurd amounts on vacations and are most definitely middle class. Conversely, I have very wealthy relatives who stay at Double Tree hotels. It's not what you spend your money on, it's what you can genuinely afford. It's also about how much you have in retirement, savings, etc.

[Anonymous]

There was an article in the Post about a year ago that said if you make $17 an hour you are middle class.
If housing wasnt so expensive you could definitely be middle class on that rate.

[Anonymous]

My take: If you have most if not everything you NEED, can take care of some WANTS occasionally, yet everyone you know still has more than you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:above 100k below 450k

Absolutely not. In the DC area, I'd say middle class would be maybe 40-50K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:above 100k below 450k

Absolutely not. In the DC area, I'd say middle class would be maybe 40-50K

Really? I agree pretty much agree with PP except I'd drop the low end to $80k - $275k. Of course this entire thread is subjective and how one defines middle income. I make $200k have two DCs under 4 (relevant because child care costs directly affect disposable income available) and think we fall in upper middle income for the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:above 100k below 450k

Absolutely not. In the DC area, I'd say middle class would be maybe 40-50K

Really? I agree pretty much agree with PP except I'd drop the low end to $80k - $275k. Of course this entire thread is subjective and how one defines middle income. I make $200k have two DCs under 4 (relevant because child care costs directly affect disposable income available) and think we fall in upper middle income for the area.

At 200k, you make more than over 95% of people in the United States. That is not even close to "middle class."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:above 100k below 450k

Absolutely not. In the DC area, I'd say middle class would be maybe 40-50K

Really? I agree pretty much agree with PP except I'd drop the low end to $80k - $275k. Of course this entire thread is subjective and how one defines middle income. I make $200k have two DCs under 4 (relevant because child care costs directly affect disposable income available) and think we fall in upper middle income for the area.

At 200k, you make more than over 95% of people in the United States. That is not even close to "middle class."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

Then I guess the question is - did OP mean middle class I the DC metro area or for the entire US. I don't dispute my income and $500k house would put me as high income in 95% of the US, but not here. Here I'm mid to upper middle class. And, in manhattan I'd be flirting with the lower end of middle class. It's all dependent on geography and how wide the net is cast.

[Anonymous]

^exactly. You may feel middle class in the DC area, but compared to the entire country, you're rich.