Who’s considered middle class in NC? You need this much income in 2025, a new report says

The income needed to be considered middle class in North Carolina is rising.

North Carolina is among the cheapest states for middle-class living, according to a recent study from personal finance website SmartAsset. The Tar Heel State came in at No. 34 on the site’s ranking of states by middle-class income ranges.

To calculate those ranges, the site used the definition of middle income from the Pew Research Center: two-thirds to double the median household income of each state.

SmartAsset analyzed the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey data to identify the median household income in 100 of the largest U.S. cities and all 50 states in order to define what constitutes middle-class income.

Here’s how much you need to earn to be considered middle class in North Carolina.

How much do you need to earn to be considered middle class in NC?

A North Carolina household needed to earn $47,198 to $141,608 to be considered middle class in 2023, SmartAsset found.

But for a few cities in North Carolina, those numbers are higher.

▪ To be considered middle class in Raleigh in 2023, households needed to earn $57,534 to $172,618, putting it at No. 1 in the state in terms of highest middle-class income range.

▪ Charlotte ranked second on the list of N.C. cities, with a 2023 middle-class income range of $53,715 to $161,162.

▪ Durham came in at No. 3, with an income range of $53,371 to $160,128.

However, the middle-class income range in a couple of cities was lower than the state average in 2023. Households in Greensboro needed to earn $41,161 to $123,494 to be considered middle class in 2023, for example, and those in Winston-Salem needed to earn $39,455 to $118,378.

What percentage of households in NC are middle class?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, in 2023:

• 17% of households in North Carolina earned between $50,000 and $74,999.
• 13% earned between $75,000 and $99,999.
• 16.5% earned between $100,000 and $149,999.

That means, according to SmartAsset’s middle-class income range for the state, roughly 46.5% of households in North Carolina were considered middle class in 2023.

The survey also found that more than 17% of households in North Carolina earned more than $150,000 in 2023, while nearly one in four households earned less than $35,000.

How do 2023 numbers compare to 2022?

North Carolina’s middle-class income range rose significantly from 2022 to 2023.

In 2022, North Carolina households needed to earn $44,124 to $132,372, according to a study from personal finance site GOBankingRates, a 7% increase from 2022 to 2023.

GOBankingRates and SmartAsset use the same definition for middle class.

Which US states are in the top 10 for middle-class income?

Here’s how much households in the 10 U.S. states with the highest middle-class income requirements earned per year, according to SmartAsset:

1. Massachusetts: $66,565 to $199,716

2. New Jersey: $66,514 to $199,562

3. Maryland: $65,779 to $197,356

4. New Hampshire: $64,552 to $193,676

5. California: $63,674 to $191,042

6. Hawaii: $63,542 to $190,644

7. Washington: $63,064 to $189,210

8. Utah: $62,274 to $186,842

9. Colorado: $61,934 to $185,822

10. Connecticut: $61,104 to $183,330

Inspired by a story from The Sacramento Bee in California.

This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 11:33 AM with the headline "Who’s considered middle class in NC? You need this much income in 2025, a new report says."

Evan Moore

The Charlotte Observer

Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.