How Much People Need To Earn To Be Considered Middle Class, By State

The middle class keeps shrinking, but the range of income needed to be considered as part of the group is pretty wide.

CNBC broke down the middle class income levels for every state. The Pew Research Center defines middle class household income as between two-thirds to double the median income, which was $55,775 for the nation in 2016. Income levels are adjusted by the number of people in a household, as well.

For instance, in West Virginia, a household of one needs to earn between $21,253 and $63,759 to be considered middle class. In California, a household of five needs to bring in $60,371 to $181,113 a year to be in the middle class.

It's important to note that there's more to class than income — class can also be defined by net worth, education and occupation, for example — but household income can be a useful tool with which to sort.

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