The Minneapolis skyline, with First Avenue in the foreground. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - What does it take to be considered "middle class?" Depends on where you live, of course.
In Minneapolis, for example, you'll obviously need to make much less than you would in San Francisco. By comparison for those two cities alone, incomes ranging from $81,623 to $243,652 in San Francisco are equal to $46,496 to $138,794 in Minneapolis and $44,286 to $132,196 in St. Paul.
Researchers at consumer finance site SmartAsset analyzed the high and low-end of middle-class salaries in 100 large cities and every state using 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data, adopting what the Pew Research Center defines as "middle class" (Americans whose income ranges from two-thirds to two times the median household income.)
Ranked from highest to lowest middle-class income, Minneapolis ranked 41st out of 100 and had a median household income of $69,397. St. Paul, the only other Minnesota city ranked in the study, came in at 51st – with a median household income of $66,098.
Fremont, California was ranked the wealthiest middle class of any large jurisdiction in America, according to the study. The median household income there is $155,968, and a middle-class income ranges from $104,499 to $311,936. Cleveland ranked last out of 100.
Nationwide, the national salary range for a three-person household was around $52,000 to $156,000. The nation’s median household income was $70,784 in 2021, according to census data.
As a state, Minnesota's middle-class income ranged from $52,072 to $155,440, with a median household income of $77,720. Wisconsin's middle-class income ranged from $44,974 to $134,250 with a median household income of $67,125.
To see the full study, including methodology, visit SmartAsset's website.