While we're at it: where would you put the top end of "middle class"?

[Recursion]

Household income, 2015 dollars. Go.

20 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	$30K-$50K
	0 (0%)
	$50k-$70K
	0 (0%)
	$70K-$90K
	1 (5%)
	$90K-$110K
	3 (15%)
	$110K-$130K
	8 (40%)
	$130K-$150K
	3 (15%)
	$150K-$170K
	2 (10%)
	$170K-$190K
	0 (0%)
	$190K-$210K
	1 (5%)
	Over $210K
	2 (10%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[whitefordmd]

1. Depends where you live

200 k does not go far in say ny city if you are living an upper middle class life style.

[Recursion]

4. It's more than three times the Manhattan median household income

Don't even say "it doesn't go far". What nonsense.

[MeNMyVolt]

9. I usually always agree with you, but the medians are irrelevant IMO.

$210/yr for a family with 3 or 4 kids in a large city is not upper class in my book. It's upper-middle. But like others have said, I don't even like the term "middle class".

[thomservo]

2. The term middle class is subjective...

This is why politicians use it.

[Recursion]

3. Very true

Hence a request for how DUers defined it.

[thomservo]

6. The results should be interesting.

[Recursion]

8. I hope so (nt)

[Recursion]

5. Seems to be roughly Gaussian so far

I would love to see more votes before concluding anything.

[JayhawkSD]

7. We should ditch the term altogether,

forget the issue of income, and define classes based on what they do and/or how they obtain their standing. It isn't about money anyway, it's about power.

Working class (including unemployed), financial class, and ruling class.

[thomservo]

10. I put $70k-$90k...

but I live in North Carolina where a public school teacher has to work 15 years before they're earning $40k a year.

[katsy]

11. I selected over 210

But there was no top limit to that. I would cap my answer to 250K. Mostly because after saving a hefty chunk of that money for retirement and saving for emergencies... You live really well but not to excess like being able to buy yachts or other ego stroking luxuries. You can earn that type of money for 20 years and the loss of a job will affect you after you run out your savings so I don't think $250K is excessive to an upper middle class standing.

That said, there is no reason that $125k shouldn't be dead center middle class living wages for a family of 4 if workers wages followed closely to the upward trend of how well the top 1% has done in the past 30 years. Well, we would have been doing well except labor has been denied a seat at the table.

[restorefreedom]

12. i put 130-150

but only to allow for COL in large cities. its probably way lower for most of the country.

[Downwinder]

13. If the bottom 10% is poor/poverty shouldn't

the top 10% be considered rich/wealthy?

[Recursion]

14. In my head I use thirds

That's divided at about $40K and $90K

[Downwinder]

15. Sounds reasonable.

If I had 40K, I would be comfortable.

10 % is existence.

[JudyM]

16. Depends on how many kids, if any, as well as where you live.

Single living in a rural area is vastly different from 4 kids living in a metropolis.