In Wisconsin, households must earn a minimum of $26,319 per year to be considered middle class, with the upper earnings boundary set at $108,377, according to a new 24/7 Wall St. analysis.
The total share of household income in Wisconsin controlled by middle-class earners is 48.4%, 24/7 Wall St. reports. In comparison, the share of income in the state controlled by the top 5% of earners was 20.8%.
To determine the income requirements of the middle class in each state, 24/7 Wall St. examined family income quintiles in the 2018 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The website set the middle-class income range as between the lower limit of the second quintile and the upper limit of the fourth quintile, which covers six out of 10 Americans.
The middle class income range varies greatly by state, depending on the cost of living, the analysis found. In states where the threshold to move into the middle class is low, earnings across the board tend to be low and poverty rates higher, according to 24/7 Wall St. In addition, the distribution of income in such states is weighted toward the wealthy, the website found.
What Households Must Earn to Be in the Middle Class
| State | Household Income Range for Middle Class | Median Family Income | Middle Class Share of State’s Income | Richest 5% Share of State’s Income |
| Alabama | $17,807 – $91,778 | $66,171 | 46.5% | 21.8% |
| Alaska | $35,383 – $151,683 | $91,971 | 48.7% | 19.7% |
| Arizona | $26,486 – $116,748 | $74,468 | 46.8% | 21.8% |
| Arkansas | $17,671 – $83,606 | $62,387 | 45.6% | 23.1% |
| California | $36,996 – $187,706 | $91,377 | 45.0% | 23.4% |
| Colorado | $34,860 – $150,014 | $95,164 | 47.2% | 21.8% |
| Connecticut | $32,486 – $170,888 | $101,272 | 43.8% | 25.3% |
| Delaware | $30,155 – $132,979 | $87,148 | 47.9% | 21.0% |
| Florida | $26,023 – $117,719 | $71,348 | 44.8% | 24.1% |
| Georgia | $23,948 – $114,234 | $74,833 | 45.4% | 23.3% |
| Hawaii | $41,532 – $181,202 | $96,462 | 49.0% | 19.9% |
| Idaho | $25,989 – $103,435 | $72,365 | 48.3% | 20.6% |
| Illinois | $27,109 – $134,640 | $87,771 | 45.7% | 23.1% |
| Indiana | $22,915 – $98,771 | $73,876 | 46.9% | 22.3% |
| Iowa | $24,663 – $101,008 | $78,152 | 48.1% | 21.1% |
| Kansas | $24,741 – $105,573 | $79,006 | 47.5% | 21.3% |
| Kentucky | $18,602 – $90,740 | $66,183 | 46.0% | 23.1% |
| Louisiana | $16,721 – $95,787 | $65,105 | 45.1% | 23.2% |
| Maine | $25,701 – $111,898 | $76,316 | 47.6% | 20.9% |
| Maryland | $39,143 – $177,970 | $105,679 | 47.6% | 21.0% |
| Massachusetts | $32,233 – $188,259 | $108,348 | 46.3% | 22.4% |
| Michigan | $23,816 – $107,001 | $75,703 | 46.5% | 22.1% |
| Minnesota | $32,182 – $134,816 | $93,584 | 48.0% | 21.0% |
| Mississippi | $15,165 – $81,480 | $58,503 | 45.0% | 23.4% |
| Missouri | $21,672 – $99,280 | $73,457 | 46.7% | 22.2% |
| Montana | $22,947 – $101,582 | $73,014 | 46.8% | 22.7% |
| Nebraska | $25,928 – $105,225 | $80,062 | 48.2% | 20.8% |
| Nevada | $26,762 – $116,795 | $76,124 | 46.0% | 23.9% |
| New Hampshire | $36,598 – $154,617 | $97,112 | 48.3% | 20.4% |
| New Jersey | $39,920 – $197,868 | $105,705 | 45.8% | 22.6% |
| New Mexico | $18,986 – $96,249 | $61,826 | 46.1% | 22.0% |
| New York | $30,797 – $176,842 | $89,475 | 43.1% | 25.8% |
| North Carolina | $22,507 – $104,011 | $72,049 | 45.7% | 22.9% |
| North Dakota | $25,187 – $110,509 | $87,055 | 47.4% | 21.8% |
| Ohio | $22,023 – $100,589 | $74,911 | 46.5% | 22.3% |
| Oklahoma | $20,466 – $94,811 | $68,358 | 45.8% | 23.3% |
| Oregon | $29,412 – $130,639 | $82,540 | 47.9% | 20.7% |
| Pennsylvania | $25,757 – $121,862 | $81,075 | 45.8% | 23.0% |
| Rhode Island | $27,551 – $132,489 | $89,373 | 47.3% | 22.0% |
| South Carolina | $21,583 – $102,365 | $70,537 | 46.0% | 22.7% |
| South Dakota | $23,824 – $98,019 | $76,826 | 48.4% | 20.4% |
| Tennessee | $21,573 – $98,679 | $69,993 | 45.5% | 23.5% |
| Texas | $26,114 – $124,754 | $76,727 | 45.7% | 22.8% |
| Utah | $34,588 – $128,053 | $86,152 | 48.7% | 20.9% |
| Vermont | $28,151 – $123,878 | $83,458 | 48.0% | 20.7% |
| Virginia | $32,507 – $156,063 | $93,497 | 46.3% | 21.7% |
| Washington | $37,025 – $163,205 | $94,709 | 46.9% | 21.6% |
| West Virginia | $17,452 – $85,516 | $60,920 | 47.2% | 21.3% |
| Wisconsin | $26,319 – $108,377 | $81,829 | 48.4% | 20.8% |
| Wyoming | $25,760 – $111,422 | $79,946 | 49.1% | 20.4% |
Source: 24/7 Wall St.
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