A poll from The Washington Post finds widespread agreement among Americans on what it means to be middle class. Americans also underestimate the income required for that lifestyle, suggesting that the popular image of middle-class security is more of an aspiration than a reality for most Americans. With each added measure of financial security, more Americans slipped away from the middle-class ideal. Researchers often define the middle class based on income, in part because income data is frequently collected and easy to access. Most Americans consider the lower end of that range, $75,000 and $100,000, to be middle class, according to the Post poll.

Source: Washington Post February 15, 2024 19:22 UTC