- RFK Jr. says he’s helping Trump pick leaders of FDA, NIH, CDC
Campaign |12 minutes ago
- EPA retaliated against three scientists, says watchdog
|25 minutes ago
- House GOP torpedoes Speaker Johnson’s funding bill
House |27 minutes ago
- Congress races to patch $3B Veterans Affairs shortfall
Defense |45 minutes ago
- EPA officials retaliated against 3 scientists, watchdog says
|51 minutes ago
- Microsoft president says election has become ‘Iran vs. Trump,’ and ‘Russia vs. Harris’
Technology |55 minutes ago
- Dems push ahead on ACA subsidies
Health Care |1 hour ago
- Iran attempted to pass hacked Trump campaign info to Biden campaign
national security |1 hour ago
Nexstar Media Wire News
(NEXSTAR) – Americans in every state, city and corner of the country are feeling the squeeze amid years (upon years) of rising prices. As the cost of living grows and wages for many workers stagnate, a middle-class lifestyle can feel more elusive.
A Pew Research study found about 51% of Americans live in middle-class households in 2023, down from 61% in 1971.
“As a result,Americans are more apart than before financially.From 1971 to 2023, the share of Americans who live in lower-income households increased from 27% to 30%,andthe share in upper-income households increased from 11% to 19%,” Pew wrote.
The researchers found that Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native families are more likely to be in lower income tiers. So are people that in metro areas throughout the Southwest, from McAllen, Texas, to Bakersfield, California, Pew found.
Personal finance site MoneyGeek took a closer look at household income data to figure out where the middle class is shrinking over time. When looking at Census data for 600 cities, they found 367 had declines in the size of the middle class between 2017 and 2022.
Some of the changes were dramatic, like in Springdale, Arkansas, and Carmel, Indiana, where the middle class shrunk by double-digit percentage points in 5 years.
The 20 cities with the biggest drop in middle-income households, according to MoneyGeek, were:
Rank | City | Drop in middle-income households (2017-22) | Percentage of households that are middle income | Middle income range | Population size (2022) |
1 | Springdale, AR | -12.0% | 43.2% | $39,351-$118,054 | 85,844 |
2 | Carmel, IN | -10.7% | 41.0% | $86,888-$260,664 | 101,286 |
3 | Rockville, MD | -9.7% | 37.2% | $70,892-$212,676 | 66,915 |
4 | Yorba Linda, CA | -9.3% | 42.0% | $101,023-$303,068 | 67,077 |
5 | The Woodlands, TX | -9.2% | 35.0% | $91,557-$274,670 | 117,970 |
6 | Union City, CA | -8.8% | 38.4% | $98,973-$296,920 | 67,049 |
7 | Bellflower, CA | -8.6% | 37.5% | $49,421-$148,262 | 76,405 |
8 | Castro Valley, CA | -8.2% | 38.0% | $88,857-$266,570 | 66,506 |
9 | O’Fallon, MO | -8.1% | 45.7% | $70,160-$210,480 | 93,648 |
10 | Sandy Springs, GA | -8.1% | 39.1% | $69,596-$208,788 | 107,767 |
11 | Layton, UT | -8.0% | 47.6% | $66,790-$200,370 | 82,600 |
12 | Melbourne, FL | -7.6% | 37.3% | $42,887-$128,662 | 86,439 |
13 | Daly City, CA | -7.6% | 40.1% | $72,818-$218,454 | 99,990 |
14 | Dale City, VA | -7.6% | 44.0% | $64,809-$194,428 | 66,140 |
15 | Arlington Heights, IL | -7.5% | 36.8% | $75,980-$227,940 | 74,207 |
16 | Bowling Green, KY | -7.3% | 37.6% | $30,541-$91,624 | 74,929 |
17 | North Port, FL | -7.2% | 47.7% | $52,391-$157,174 | 85,102 |
18 | Newport Beach, CA | -7.1% | 35.0% | $84,902-$254,706 | 83,981 |
19 | Citrus Heights, CA | -6.9% | 43.7% | $49,282-$147,846 | 86,440 |
20 | Renton, WA | -6.8% | 40.1% | $62,259-$186,776 | 104,060 |
While it can be hard to define what it feels like to be middle class, MoneyGeek and Pew define “middle income” as earning between two-thirds and double the city’s median household income. That means a family earning $150,000 a year in ultra-expensive Santa Clara, California, would qualify as middle income.
However, that same family would be upper income in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where the middle household income ranges from $30,000 to $90,000.
You can see MoneyGeek’s full dataset on the 367 cities with shrinking middle classes here.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More Nexstar Media Wire News News
Big Lots: 47 more stores across 19 states to close; total closures surpass 300
by Addy Bink
4 hours ago
Nexstar Media Wire News/4 hours ago
‘Severe’ geomagnetic storm reported: Will it spark auroras, impact electrical grids?
by Addy Bink
1 day ago
Nexstar Media Wire News/1 day ago
iOS 18 released: What iPhone models can’t get the newest update?
by Addy Bink
2 days ago
Nexstar Media Wire News/2 days ago
Map: More than 20 states have chance at seeing northern lights after solar flare
by Addy Bink
3 days ago
Nexstar Media Wire News/3 days ago
See All
Video/Hill.TV
See all Video
Rising: September 18, 2024
by TheHill.com
09/18/24 1:44 PM ET
Rising/6 hours ago
Rising: September 17, 2024
by TheHill.com
1 day ago
Rising/1 day ago
Rising: September 16, 2024
by TheHill.com
2 days ago
Rising/2 days ago
See all Hill.TVSee all Video
See All
House GOP torpedoes Speaker Johnson’s funding bill
by Mychael Schnell
28 mins ago
House/28 mins ago
See All
- Watch live: Trump holds first rally since second apparent assassination attempt
- House GOP torpedoes Speaker Johnson’s funding bill
- Shapiro forgets ID, denied alcohol while trying to celebrate canned cocktails ...
- Harris leads Trump in Pennsylvania, Michigan, with tighter race in ...
- Democrats block Cruz attempt to pass GOP IVF bill
- Trump quips he wishes Biden hadn’t called him: ‘He was so nice to me’
- Teamsters union skips endorsement in presidential race for first time since 1996
- Iran attempted to pass hacked Trump campaign info to Biden campaign
- Teamsters leader says Harris, Trump wouldn’t ‘commit’
- 5 takeaways from Trump’s town hall with Sarah Huckabee Sanders
- Negotiate with Moscow to end the Ukraine war and prevent nuclear devastation
- Hillary Clinton: I’m ‘conflicted’ by Melania Trump
- Trump campaign adviser knocks Huckabee Sanders for step mom shot at Harris
- 23andMe board quits over plans to take DNA testing company private
- Taylor Swift, Brittany Mahomes underscore dividing lines: Can Democrats and ...
- Schumer calls out Trump for ‘selective amnesia’ on SALT
- Republican senator demands ABC News turn over any pre-debate communication with ...
- Big Lots: 47 more stores across 19 states to close; total closures surpass 300