With inflation spiking so much over the past three years, some people who were firmly in the middle class in 2020 may not be there anymore. The cost of living is so high that more and more people are having a hard time making ends meet.
A good salary just a few years ago may be low enough now to keep you out of the middle class. According to Consumer Affairs, there are the states where it takes the most income to be in the middle class.
Hawaii
Hawaii has the highest cost of living of any state. With most things having to be shipped in from far away, inflation has hit especially hard. To be in the middle class, you need to earn $82,630 annually here.
New York
New York is known for everything being expensive, and that’s especially true for housing costs and food. To be middle class in New York, you have to earn at least $81,396 a year.
District of Columbia
In Washington, D.C., the city ties with New York for the amount of earnings needed to be middle class. Being middle class in the nation’s capital requires earning $81,396 a year or more.
Connecticut
The northeast of the country has a lot of states with high costs of living. This region has many large cities and has felt the sting of inflation in them. To be middle class here takes a minimum of $80,163 a year.
New Jersey
New Jersey ties with Connecticut in the amount needed for being middle class- $80,163. Luckily, this state has the most millionaires of any state, so many people earn a high amount.
Massachusetts
Another Northeastern state that has a high cost of living, Massachusetts is known for being expensive. That’s why you need to earn $76,463 a year just to be in the bottom rung of the middle class.
Maryland
This pretty state has plenty to see and do, including picturesque beaches. However, to be middle class there, you need to make a minimum of $73,997 a year.
Washington
The Pacific Northwest is another place that has seen a rise in the cost of living thanks to intense inflation. If you want to be in the middle class in the Evergreen State, you need to make at least $73,997.
New Hampshire
The Northeast, specifically New England, is a very expensive place to be these days. To simply enter the lowest sphere of the middle class, you need to earn a minimum of $73,997.
Vermont
A decade ago, a salary of $71,530 would have meant significant money. Today in Vermont, it’s just enough to barely get you into the middle class. Inflation shows little sign of stopping its rise.
Oregon
Back to the Pacific Northwest. This is an area of the country that’s been hard hit by inflation, and more money is now needed to be middle class. To reach it, you now need to make $70,297 a year.
California
Life in California can be highly expensive. It has one of the highest costs of living in the country, and inflation hasn’t helped. For Californians to reach the middle class, they have to make at least $69,064 annually.
Colorado
Colorado has some of the most amazing mountain views in the country, but those views don’t come cheap. You’ll need to earn at least $69,064 a year if you want to live there and be middle class.
Rhode Island
The smallest state has one of the biggest costs of living. The quaint area of the country has a lot of beautiful scenery, but it also has a high entrance into middle class. It takes $69,064 a year.
Pennsylvania
Getting to the middle class in Pennsylvania will cost you $67,830 a year, and that’s just the entry fee. It can be hard for many workers who are feeling the effects of a difficult economy to make a living in the Northeast.
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