REVEALED: The six cities where earning $200k-a-year is still only enough to be considered middle class

Earning $200,000 a twelvemonth mightiness look for illustration capable to unrecorded a life of luxury.

But successful six of nan 25 biggest US metros, rampant inflation successful nan past 2 years intends this six-figure net is only capable to beryllium mediate class. 

In San Francisco, moreover a family earning much than $250,000 each twelvemonth would beryllium considered mediate people earners - albeit though they would beryllium among nan apical of nan category.

In Washington DC, a metropolis afloat of high-paid lawyers, politicians and consultants and apt conscionable arsenic galore low-paid congressional staffers, it isn't overmuch better. A family successful nan nation's superior tin make arsenic overmuch arsenic $235,000 and still beryllium solidly successful nan mediate class.

Earning conscionable complete $200,000 is what it takes successful Seattle and Boston, some tech hubs for illustration San Francisco.

One of nan astir communal definitions of mediate people - arsenic specified by nan Pew Research Center - is earning either 2 thirds of aliases doubly nan median income successful their area. 

The figures shown beneath correspond double nan median income successful nan listed cities.

If astir Americans' paychecks moreover remotely reflected what these figures look like, location mightiness not beryllium origin for concern. 

But ever since incomes peaked successful 2019, nan magnitude Americans gain astatine their jobs has been steadily going down for 3 consecutive years. 

Runaway ostentation ate distant astatine nan dollars successful their pocket, pinch price maturation hitting a 41-year-high successful June 2022.

For nan mean person, nan costs associated pinch basal nutrient staples for illustration nutrient and eggs skyrocketed post-pandemic.

Some families still struggle to banal their pantries for little than $400 a week. 

Relatively caller homeowners - beyond being saddled pinch elevated liking rates - are dealing pinch grounds precocious premiums to insure their house. 

Refocusing connected San Francisco, yes, incomes whitethorn beryllium high, but nan median location value deed $1.2 cardinal successful December 2023. 

Jeff Rose, laminitis of Alliance Wealth Management, explained conscionable really difficult making these numbers activity tin be, moreover for a family making $150,000, which is simply a adjacent spot higher than nan median of $136,692.

'Monthly payments connected a $1.2 cardinal home, moreover pinch a important downpayment, could easy transcend $5,000 aliases more, depending connected nan owe position and liking rates.

'This could relationship for much than 40 percent of your grossly monthly income if you make $150,000.'

Car insurance, too, is becoming a burden, pinch nan mean yearly premium hitting $2,019 successful 2023 and forecast to summation 7 percent this year.

This is particularly dire for nan US, a federation much limited connected cars than galore others.

Mark Hamrick, elder economical expert astatine Bankrate, said: 'Many Americans are stuck location betwixt continued sticker daze from elevated prices, a deficiency of income gains and a emotion that their hopes and dreams are retired of touch pinch their financial capabilities.'

Economists don't each work together connected what genuinely constitutes a mediate people salary, and location is surely immoderate contention pinch nan Pew Research meaning of a 2 thirds to double nan median income range.

Say you unrecorded successful Holmes County, Mississippi, which has 1 of nan lowest median family incomes successful nan state astatine $28,818. Under this definition, you could make arsenic small arsenic $19,212 a twelvemonth and technically beryllium successful nan mediate class.

It's important to statement that not moreover nan authorities has weighed successful to officially specify what mediate people means. 

Lawmakers are usually acold much willing successful classifying poorness and wealth.

For instance, nan poorness statement successful nan US for a family of 4 is $31,200 per year, according to Health and Human Services. 

And President Joe Biden often talks astir really he won't raise taxes connected families making $400,000 aliases less, fundamentally revealing wherever he draws nan statement connected who's able and who's not.

But is nan mediate people really contained betwixt $31,200 and $400,000?

Most economists and argumentation deliberation tanks don't springiness a scope that large.

So, possibly it's amended to spell based connected people's gut feelings of really overmuch money they request to consciousness 'comfortable.'

A Bankrate study recovered that the 'magic number' that nan mean American feels they would request to gain to beryllium financially unchangeable is $186,000 per year, which is acold much than conscionable double nan emblematic US net of $79,000.

Furthermore, only 6 percent of Americans opportunity they are making capable to consciousness secure, pinch nan mostly believing they apt ne'er will, nan study revealed.