The benchmark for an "upper middle class" salary differs drastically from city to city. In West Coast tech hubs, it takes an income of more than $200,000 to achieve the same status as someone earning around $60,000 in certain Midwest cities, according to an April 2 study from GoBankingRates.
The financial services company used the Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey to find the 200 largest U.S. cities in terms of households and each one's median household income. Then, it deciphered the upper middle class income range according to Pew Research Center's definition of middle class income as two-thirds to double the median. Data was collected March 11.
These cities have the highest and lowest income ranges considered upper middle class, per the study:
10 cities with the lowest income range considered upper middle class:
1. Cleveland: $57,977 to $74,542
2. Detroit: $58,739 to $75,522
3. Dayton, Ohio: $64,467 to $82,866
4. Jackson, Miss.: $65,634 to $84,386
5. Birmingham, Ala.: $66,055 to $84,928
6. Springfield, Mo.: $67,589 to $86,900
7. Syracuse, N.Y.: $67,797 to $87,168
8. Gainesville, Fla.: $68,107 to $87,566
9. Rochester, N.Y.: $68,687 to $88,312
10. Toledo, Ohio: $70,630 to $90,810
10 cities with the highest income range considered upper middle class:
1. Sunnyvale, Calif.: $271,454 to $349,012
2. Fremont, Calif.: $262,925 to $338,046
3. Bellevue, Wash.: $232,635 to $299,102
4. Frisco, Texas: $224,882 to $289,134
5. Naperville, Ill.: $223,617 to $287,508
6. Arlington, Va.: $213,713 to $274,774
7. San Francisco: $212,627 to $273,378
8. San Jose, Calif.: $211,571 to $272,020
9. Cary, N.C.: $194,938 to $250,634
10. Irvine, Calif.: $191,252 to $245,896