Anonymous wrote:$3M in combined retirement and brokerage and $850K house paid off. $250K saved for kid’s college. We make $420K combined ($240/$180). We are 55/53.
To help you put things in perspective:
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/the-average-retirement-savings-by-age-and-why-you-need-more
The median retirement savings of earners ages 55-64 (e.g. just under retirement age) is $185K.
The mean/average retirement savings of that same group of earners is $537,560.
Only 40% of all homeowners in the US have paid off their house and that includes many with houses worth much less than yours.
In 2022, the average HHI across the US was just under $75K
In 2022, the average HHI in the DC metropolitan area (and DC itself) was just under $94K.
In 2022, the average HHI in MD was about $98.5K
In 2022, the average HHI in VA was about $81K (NoVa was about $130K).
DCUM is a self-selected group that has a much higher income and net wealth than even the areas we live in. But in general, DCUM is dominated by a lot of top 1-5% household earners. So, trying to say that you are "DCUM middle class" means that you are likely in the top 5% of nationwide earners. That, by definition, tends to make you at least affluent, if not actually wealthy.
However, if you actually use the term DCUM middle class, it does make you amazingly tone deaf.