What Does Middle-Class Income Mean For Kentuckians Today?

Just how much do you have to earn to be considered "Middle Class" in Kentucky?

What Exactly Does It Mean to Be "Middle Class?"

Before we dive into how much money has to be earned to fall into the category "Middle Class," let's first take a look at what that term even means. According to Pew Research the middle class is defined as "those with an income that is two-thirds to double that of the U.S. median household income, after incomes have been adjusted for household size."

Is the Middle Class Getting Smaller?

Pew Research compared data from 2023 and from 1971. The data shows a distinct decline of the middle class. Back in 1971, just over a quarter of Americans (27%) were considered lower income, the majority of Americans (61%) were labeled middle income and only 11% of the population fell into the upper income bracket. However, in 2023, lower income Americans grew to 30% and upper income Americans grew to 19%. The result? A decrease in middle income households from 61% to 51%.

Get our free mobile app

The Median Household Income Has Increased by Nearly $50k in the U.S.

After making adjustis for inflation, Pew Research reveals that the median income of a middle class household in the United States jumped 60%. From 1970 to 2022 the median middle class household income climbed from $66,400 to $106,100 annually.

Homes, Groceries, and Overall Inflation - Everything Is On the Rise

The AOL team dove deep into data from a number of sources including the Consumer Price Index, and the Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index. They share that home prices have skyrocked 52% in the 48 months between January 2020 and December 2024. That means a home worth $200,000 in January 2020 was worth $304,000 in December 2024. Likewise, food prices have climbed by 30% and inflation overall increased by 25% during that same timeframe.

Six-Figures Doesn't Stretch As Far As It Used To

Using all of the data, AOL was able to determine the low and high ends of the middle class for all 50 U.S. states. As AOL states what many Americans already know to be true, "a six-figure income may not stretch as far as it once did."

So Just How Much Do You Have to Earn to Be Middle Class in Kentucky?

In Kentucky, the median household income is $61,118. To that end, a household would need to earn $40,741 annualy to be the low-end threshold for middle class. Meanwhile, in the Commonwealth, $122,236 is the annual household income on the high end of being considered middle class.

[SOURCE: AOL; Pew Research]