Here’s how much you need to make to be middle class in Pennsylvania, new analysis says

Living a comfortable life is growing more expensive across the country, and the definition of the so-called “middle class” is changing.

So, exactly how much does a household need to make to meet middle-class status these days? That question was the recent focus of the finance publication GOBankingRates, which produced a data-driven report analyzing the changes in middle-class income thresholds and ranges over a decade for each U.S. state.

In its analysis, GOBankingRates combed through the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Surveys and pulled each state’s 2012, 2017 and 2022 median household incomes. Once those median household incomes were isolated, the publication found middle-class income ranges for each year, defining that class as those with an annual household income that was two-thirds to double the national median income. From there, GOBankingRates ultimately found 10-year changes in the middle-class income ranges and thresholds.

Here’s what you need to know about the publication’s findings for Pennsylvania and beyond.

How has Pennsylvania’s middle class changed since 2012?

Here in the Keystone State, households could qualify as middle class by making between $48,780 and $146,340 per year, according to GOBankingRates’ report. Both the upper and lower limits of that range have significantly expanded since 2012, when a middle-class Pennsylvania household could pull in between $34,845 to $104,534.

Pennsylvania’s 10-year change in middle-class income threshold increased 39.99% over that span, ranking it smack in the middle of the country with the 25th-largest jump, GOBankingRates says.

Generally, life in the U.S. has become more expensive in recent years.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, the cost of all items rose by about 3.4% over the last year through April 2024. Overall food prices were up 2.2% on the year, while shelter (up 5.5%), energy services (up 3.6%) and gasoline (up 1.2%) also observed increases. No category measured by the bureau saw a larger jump in average cost than transportation services, which is up roughly 11.2% over the last 12 months.

A recent and separate analysis from the financial company SmartAsset calculated the basic costs of living for single working adults and two-parent, two-children families across the U.S. According to that study, a single working adult in Pennsylvania would need to make at least $91,312 per year to live comfortably. That figure raises to $230,464 for Keystone State families with two children.

How does the rest of the country compare?

No state saw a larger shift in its definition of middle class than Oregon, which produced a 53.15% 10-year change in its middle-class household income range. According to GOBankingRates’ analysis, the Beaver State’s 2022 middle-class household income range sits at between $51,088 and $153,264 — up significantly from 2012, when between $33,357 and $100,072 would qualify as middle class.

Meanwhile, the definition of middle class has changed the least in Alaska, where the middle-class threshold has increased just 23.53% between 2012 and 2022. As of 2022, Alaska households needed to make between $57,580 and $172,740 to qualify as middle class.

Mississippi offered the lowest starting point for its middle class, which ranged between $35,323 and $105,970 as of 2022. On the other hand, Maryland required a household income of $65,641 to be considered middle class, the highest in the country that year.

Here’s a full look at the 10-year change in middle-class household income requirements for all 50 states, plus their middle-class income ranges as of 2022:

1. Oregon — $51,088 to $153,264 in 2022, up 53.15% from 2012

2. Washington — $60,217 to $180,650, up 52.13%

3. Colorado — $58,399 to $175,196, up 50.4%

4. California — $61,270 to $183,810, up 49.68%

5. Idaho — $46,809 to $140,428, up 49.34%

6. Utah — $57,889 to $173,666, up 49.29%

7. Montana — $44,227 to $132,682, up 45.95%

8. Tennessee — $42,690 to $128,070, up 45.07%

9. Rhode Island — $54,247 to $162,740, up 45.04%

10. Massachusetts — $64,337 to $193,010, up 44.78%

In a companion story, GOBankingRates interviewed experts and discussed some of the elements behind the ever-changing definition of “middle class” across the U.S. Some contributing factors include higher housing costs, lower home ownership rates, mounting debts, an increasing reliance on “gig economy” opportunities and higher costs for education and health care needs.

You can read GOBankingRates’ full study by visiting gobankingrates.com/money/economy/how-much-definition-of-middle-class-has-changed-in-every-state. Additional reports on the site examine the methodology behind the analysis and other reviews.