Being middle class isn't just about your income. It's also about where you live and how many dependents you have.

See how U.S. middle-class income and costs have changed from 1990 to 2025, and why staying middle class is harder than ever.

The definition of America’s middle class used to be a lot clearer than it is today — thanks to the changes of inflation and cost of living. According to data from Pew Research Center, the country’s ...

Middle-class life in the United States has always been defined less by a single number and more by a bundle of expectations: ...

That said, the shifts in middle-class household income requirements have not been the same in every state. In some states, the household income range of the middle class hasn’t increased quite as much ...

According to the Pew Research Center, the middle class is shrinking. In 1971, 61% of Americans lived in middle-income households. By 2023, that number had dropped to just 51%. As more people shift ...

Since replacing her boss atop the 2024 Democratic ticket, Kamala Harris has cast herself as an agent of generational change who would open "a new way forward" for the American people. But even if a ...

Many life milestones feel out of reach for the middle class, a big indicator that things are shifting. Here's what it could ...

Status symbols often shift over time, depending on the nature of our society and the beliefs of the people operating within it. However, it's possible for different communities, groups, and ...

The good news is that Americans have never been richer. The bad news is that most of them don’t feel like it. There has been tremendous growth in income and wealth in the U.S. in the last half century ...

One thing that just about every presidential candidate in history from both parties and all corners of the country have in common is … they promise to lift the middle class. After all, campaigning to ...

A Business Insider analysis reveals the household income needed to be middle class in major US cities, and it's highest in California and Virginia.