


The majority of Americans — 62 percent — identify as “middle class,” according to a Gallup poll conducted in June. It’s the highest percentage of people feeling that way since 2003. But a lot of Americans are like Osegueda: They feel middle class, but they aren’t sure what it means.

President Trump said on Sept. 14 "wealthy Americans are not my priority," but he's aiming to benefit companies who make jobs and the middle class. (The Washington Post)



There is no exact definition of middle class, and a deep look at the data shows a wide variety of individuals could be part of it, depending on where they live and how big their family is. The middle class in San Francisco, where Osegueda lives, is not the same as it is in Peoria, Ill. You can explore whether your household is middle class in this calculator (more details on our definition below):

Osegueda and her husband are in their early 30s. Both have college degrees — she also has a master’s — and launched careers in San Francisco’s booming tech industry. She worked in human resources, and he’s an engineer. They love San Francisco, but a year ago, they moved to Pacifica, a suburb, where rent is more affordable and their young son has space to play. Despite making nearly $100,000 a year, they aren’t sure they’ll ever own a home, at least not anywhere in the Bay Area.

It's not just San FranciscoA quick glance at the median income in these six American cities highlights how much it varies:
Newton, Mass.: $122,100
Washington, D.C.: $70,800
Denver: $53,600
Dallas: $43,800
Birmingham, Ala.: $31,200
Flint, Mich.: $24,900


When Americans talk about the “middle class,” they are usually thinking about a range, not just the specific income dead in the middle. Pew Research says the middle class runs from $42,000 to $125,000 (before tax). They define middle as a household of three with an income that falls between two-thirds and double the median income. By Pew’s calculation, just over half of American households are truly middle class, less than the 62 percent who self-identify that way.


America’s middle-class ranges from $35,000 to $122,500 in annual income, according to The Post’s calculation. (The data is in 2016 dollars before taxes. You can see in the chart below how much the range varies by household size). Rakesh Kochhar, associate director of research at Pew, calls it a “fair” estimate. He helped craft Pew's definition.




In Beattyville, Ky., a place dubbed “America's poorest white town,” median income is only $16,000 and a typical home costs only $53,000. Deep poverty also exists on many Indian reservations, such as the one in Blackwater, Ariz., where the median income is just $18,000.


“My husband and I sometimes look at each other and say, what are we doing here? A house here costs a million dollars,” says Osegueda. “It's kind of insane when you think about it.”


America's vast differences in pay and costs make creating a one-size-fits-all tax policy tricky. One of the biggest dilemmas Republicans face as they work on the tax bill is where to draw the tax bracket lines for people of different incomes. GOP leaders are still working out where to set the rates, and at what income level those rates will kick in.


Another big debate right now is whether to get rid of the state and local tax deduction (known as SALT). This allows people to deduct their state and local taxes from their federal income taxes, a benefit that's particularly lucrative for people in high-tax cities and states such as San Francisco. It could make a substantial difference to some middle-class families.



But as Republicans look to rewrite the tax code, their proposal to sharply cut tax rates while also eliminating many tax deductions will have winners and losers — including among people who consider themselves middle class.

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