WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Fifty-four percent of Americans identify as part of the middle class, including 39% who say they are “middle class” and 15% “upper-middle class.” Another 31% consider themselves “working class” and 12% “lower class.” Just 2% of U.S. adults characterize themselves as “upper class.”
These readings are generally in line with those since the Great Recession. Before then, Americans were typically more likely to self-identify as members of the middle or upper-middle class and less likely to say they belonged to the working or lower class.
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The latest findings are from Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance poll, conducted April 1-22. This is the 11th reading on this measure from the annual survey since 2002.
From 2002 through 2006, an average of 61% of Americans considered themselves middle or upper-middle class; however, that dropped to 56% in 2008, at the start of the Great Recession -- and since then, the figure has averaged 53%. Meanwhile, the combined percentage of U.S. adults identifying as working or lower class has increased from an average of 37% pre-recession to 45% since.
Social class identification has generally been stable since 2019, even as Americans' ratings of the U.S. economy have grown significantly worse.
Education and Income Influence Social Class Identification
Historically, Americans’ self-identified social class has been largely influenced by their income and education levels. U.S. adults with higher annual household incomes and those with college and postgraduate degrees are most likely to say they belong to the upper or upper-middle class. Americans with lower incomes and those with only a high school education are most likely to identify as working or lower class.
Older Americans, White adults and Democrats are also more likely than their counterparts to identify as members of the middle class.
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Although Americans’ social class identification has been consistently related to their education and income levels, the relationship with other characteristics, particularly party, has changed over time.
Partisans’ Class Identification Has Shifted in Recent Years
Until 2022, Republicans were more likely than Democrats to identify as upper-middle or middle class and less likely to identify as working or lower class. However, in the past two readings, the trend has been reversed, with Democrats more likely than Republicans to identify as upper-middle or middle class. Meanwhile, Republicans now lead in combined identification as working or lower class.
Still, a slim majority of Republicans (53%) consider themselves upper-middle or middle class and 46% as working or lower class.
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Bottom Line
The Great Recession appears to have caused Americans to reevaluate their social class. Still, despite persistently high inflation and weak economic confidence over the past few years, a slim majority of Americans continue to identify as members of the middle class. Educational attainment and income level have consistently been closely linked to U.S. adults’ social class identification. In recent years, Republicans have become more likely to identify as working and lower class, while Democrats have shifted to characterize themselves more as upper-middle and middle class.
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View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).
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FAQs
-- Fifty-four percent of Americans identify as part of the middle class, including 39% who say they are “middle class” and 15% “upper-middle class.” Another 31% consider themselves “working class” and 12% “lower class.” Just 2% of U.S. adults characterize themselves as “upper class.”
What percent of the U.S. is upper class? ›
Among Americans, 73% say they belong to the middle or working classes, according to an April 2022 survey from Gallup. Additionally, 14% identify themselves as upper-middle class and 2% categorize themselves as upper class.
What's considered middle class in 2024? ›
In 2024, a large U.S. city's middle-class income averages between $52,000 and $155,000, with the median household income across all 345 cities at $77,345, making middle-class income limits fall between $51,558 and $154,590, SmartAsset noted.
What income level is middle class? ›
In a large U.S. city, a middle-class income averages between $52,000 and $155,000. The median household income across all 345 cities is $77,345, making middle-class income limits fall between $51,558 and $154,590.
Are lawyers middle class? ›
Most people in the upper-middle class strata are highly educated white collar professionals such as physicians, dentists, lawyers, accountants, engineers, military officers, economists, business analysis, urban planners, university professors, architects, stockbrokers, psychologists, scientists, actuaries, optometrists ...
Are doctors middle class? ›
The lower middle class is often made up of less educated people with lower incomes, such as managers, small business owners, teachers, and secretaries. The upper middle class is often made up of highly educated business and professional people with high incomes, such as doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers, and CEOs.
What percentage of Americans are wealthy? ›
Top 2% wealth: The top 2% of Americans have a net worth of about $2.472 million, aligning closely with the surveyed perception of wealth. Top 5% wealth: The next tier, the top 5%, has a net worth of around $1.03 million. Top 10% wealth: The top 10% of the population has a net worth of approximately $854,900.
What income is considered wealthy? ›
You'll need to earn more than half a million annually to be considered among the highest earning residents in 11 states and Washington, D.C.
What net worth is considered upper class? ›
The Federal Reserve provides the median net worth for these groups in its 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. Here's the much each group has: The upper class starts with an average net worth of $793,120. That's for the top 80% to 90% of earners.
What salary is considered lower class? ›
Where you rank by income. According to the Census Bureau's Income in the United States: 2022 report, the median household income is $74,580 (a 2.3% decline from 2021), while household income levels for each class level are as follows: Lower class: less than or equal to $30,000. Lower-middle class: $30,001 – $58,020.
There are three U.S. cities where people making a $150,000 income qualify as lower middle class and two of them are in California, according to recent research from GOBankingRates.
Is 55 000 a year middle class? ›
In the New York/Newark/Jersey City, New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania metro area, families making between $56,000 and $169,000 are considered middle class. The range in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Anaheim, California, falls between $55,000 and $165,000.
What is considered as a good salary? ›
“Good income is relative to the average household income in America, which is $78,000 right now.” Real median household income in the U.S. was $78,250 in 2019 and fell to $74,580 in 2022, according to the Census Bureau. "You're not a bad person. You're not a horrible income earner.
Am I middle class or upper class? ›
Middle class: Those in the 40th to 60th percentile of household income, ranging from $55,001 to $89,744. Upper middle class: Households in the 60th to 80th percentile, with incomes between $89,745 and $149,131. Upper class: The top 20% of earners, with household incomes of $149,132 or more.
What salary is considered upper class for a single person? ›
Upper middle class: Anyone with earnings in the 60th to 80th percentile would be considered upper middle class. Those in the upper middle class have incomes between $89,745 and $149,131. Upper class: Finally, the upper class is the top 20% of earners and they have incomes of $149,132 or higher.
What percent of the world is considered middle class? ›
In percentage terms, 17% of the global population could be considered middle income in 2020.
What is the percentage of under class in America? ›
According to Dennis Gilbert roughly one quarter, 25%, of US households were in the lower classes; 13% were members among the working poor while 12% were members of the underclass.
What is the top 0.1 percent income? ›
For 2022, the average wage for working Americans was $61,136. The average wages of those in the top 1 percent of wage earners were $785,968 that year. In the rarefied top 0.1 percent, the average earnings were more than $2.8 million in 2022.
