Reply to Can we stop referring to households making $200 or 300K a year as "middle class"?

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Reply to "Can we stop referring to households making $200 or 300K a year as "middle class"?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Plenty of people with 200k HHI can't afford to live in these areas with "amenities" due to factors like student loans, child care, and having to break into the real estate market post-bubble.  A 200k household with $500/month in student loans and two kids in daycare and a first home bought post-2011 or so is probably much more "middle class" than a household with the same income, no loans, a house bought pre-bubble, and kids who are out of daycare.

That's not to say that the first household won't eventually break into upper middle class, but I don't think it's entirely unreasonable that younger households feel strapped on that income.

DH and I both make about 100k, which is decent for this area, but not anything unusual.  If we moved to Boise, ID we'd probably make decent salaries for Idaho, but I doubt we'd be rich.  Middle class is all relative based on the metro area you live in and the extent of your school debt/how long ago you bought your first home.[/quote]

We make close to $200K with $400/month in student loans, bought in early 2012, two kids in daycare.  I wouldn't ever say that we are "middle class," but if you look at our lifestyle, it looks pretty middle-class  (small old house, $20-$25k cars that are two and seven years old, no fancy furniture, no gym or pool memberships, minimal restaurant eating, K-12 public schools).  We do max out one 401(k) and two Roths, which I think would be tough on a truly middle-class income.  [/quote]

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