Reality Check: Where $150K Still Feels 'Middle Class'

Turns out, six figures doesn’t hit the same everywhere. According to latest income data, there are 18 U.S. states where a $150,000 annual salary keeps you firmly in middle-class territory rather than upper-middle class.

The math: using the Pew Research definition (middle class = two-thirds to double the median household income), states like Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts have such high cost of living that $150K barely cracks upper-middle class. Maryland’s middle-class ceiling sits at $196,922—meaning you’d need nearly $200K to feel “rich.”

Meanwhile, more affordable states like Oregon and Illinois have middle-class ceilings around $153K-$156K, so that $150K salary actually puts you closer to the top.

The gap is wild: Hawaii’s median household income is $94,814, but the living cost is so high that middle-class income ranges up to $189,628. Compare that to Oregon at $76,632 median with a $153,264 ceiling.

TL;DR: Location matters more than the number in your bank account. Your six-figure income gets you way further in some states than others.