Do you earn enough to be considered “middle class” in Ohio?
The socioeconomic tier is commonly defined by annual household income, and an August report from GoBankingRates revealed just how much income you have to earn annually to be considered middle class in every state.
Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey are among the states with the highest threshold to be considered middle class. In Maryland, a two-person household needs to bring in annually between $71,611 to $214,834. And in Massachusetts, a four-person household needs to annually earn $110,637 to $331,910.
Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico and West Virginia are among the states with the lowest middle-class threshold. A two-person West Virginia household annually earning between $44,185 to $132,554 is considered middle class. In Mississippi, a four-person household annually making $57,139 to $171,416 is middle class, according to GoBankingRate’s data.
What income qualifies as ‘middle class’ in Ohio?
Ohio’s middle-class income range is lower compared to states like Connecticut or Maryland because the cost of living here is lower than states in the Northeast.
Here’s what households in the Buckeye state need to earn annually to be considered middle class, according to GOBankingRates’ data.
What is the average cost of living in Ohio?
For a two-adult household where both are working with no children, a living wage calculator from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that you’ll need to earn $60,486 annually. That gross income accounts for housing, utilities, internet, transportation and other expenses. For a two-adult household where both are working and there are two children, that number jumps to $110,281 per year in Ohio.
What’s the median income in Ohio?
Ohioans’ median income on its own isn’t high enough to be considered middle class by GOBankingRates’ thresholds. U.S. News and World Report shows that $42,343 is the median income across Ohio.
What income is considered middle class in other Midwest states?
Ohio’s middle-class income threshold is lower compared to other Midwest states, the GOBankingRates data shows.
Only Indiana and Missouri have lower thresholds than Ohio, with a two-person household needing to earn at least $52,014 annually in Missouri. A four-person Indiana household must bring home at least $71,703 annually.
On the high end, Minnesota has the highest middle-income threshold of Midwest states, followed by Illinois and North Dakota. A two-person family has to bring home at least $63,563, and a four-person family needs to earn $95,999 annually to be middle class in the North Star state, according to GOBankingRates.
Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What’s considered middle-class income in Ohio? See the income ranges
Reporting by Maria DeVito, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
