Get All Access for $5/mo

You Need a 6 Figure Salary to Be Considered Middle Class in This U.S. City Middle-class status is the hardest to attain in tech cities like San Francisco and Seattle.

By Madeline Garfinkle

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

pankajd7 / 500px | Getty Images
Fremont, California.

Over the past 50 years, the population of Americans living in middle-class households decreased by over 10%, according to Pew Research Center, and as the gap between rich and poor grows wider, some American cities are more difficult to attain middle-class status than others.

A study by SmartAsset calculated the lower and upper bounds of what it takes to be middle-class in 100 American cities across all 50 states and found that one area particularly dominated the rankings: Five of the top 10 cities with the highest middle-class ceilings were tech cities.

The city with the highest threshold to be considered middle-class was Fremont, CA, with a lower limit of $104,499 and upper-bound of $311,936. Fremont was also the only city in the U.S. with a six-figure salary as the lower limit to be considered middle-class and is nearly $20,000 ahead of its successor, San Jose, which has a lower bound of $84,673 an upper bound of $252,754 for middle-class status.

Other tech cities that dominated the rankings were San Francisco at No. 4, Seattle at No. 5, and Irvine at No. 6.

Related: If You Want to Break Out of the Middle Class, Avoid These Money Habits

The high ceiling for middle-class status in tech cities could largely be attributed to the high-paying tech jobs. In Fremont, for example, nearly one-tenth of the population works for Tesla.

Furthermore, the foundation of the local economy contributed to nearly all of the cities being among the ranks for highest middle-class ceilings. Arlington, VA came in at No. 3 and is home to a wide range of federal government workers due to its proximity to Washington D.C.

Other places like Piano, TX (No. 9) and Chandler, AZ (No. 10) are supported by a strong presence of big-name banks such as JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

These Companies Offer the Best Work-Life Balance, According to Employees

The ranking is based on Glassdoor ratings and reviews.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Leadership

Why Your AI Strategy Will Fail Without the Right Talent in Place

Using fractional AI experts through specialized platforms allows companies to access top talent cost-effectively, drive innovation and scale agile strategies for growth.

Business News

5 Trends Every American Small Business Owner Needs to Watch in 2016

Technology will continue to cost less but borrowing is becoming more expensive. Don't expect much substantial from Washington in an election year.

Business News

Here's What the CPI Report Means for Your Wallet, According to JPMorgan and EY Experts

Most experts agree that there will be another rate cut next week.