Am I middle class or lower class?

[wvjules]

I'm not sure which one I am. If I'm lower class then I will be getting some middle class money. If I'm middle class someone lower class will get my money. Of if I'm middle class someone weathly will be getting my money. I'm not sure how to vote until I know which class I fall in.

What is considered middle class?

 

[bunny]

It depends on what day of the week is. Also before the election you are probably middle class and after it you will be rich!

 

[Free4Life11]

Well don't tell us you live in NYC or LA, because on the DIS anything less than 6 figures is just about poverty in those areas apparently!

 

[LuvOrlando]

It depends on what day of the week is. Also before the election you are probably middle class and after it you will be rich!

Good one

 

[LuvOrlando]

Well don't tell us you live in NYC or LA, because on the DIS anything less than 6 figures is just about poverty in those areas apparently!

It's true. There are parts of New Jersey where the taxes on a regular home run $25,000 a year. In NY its the income taxes and taxes on everything you buy that overwhelm regular folks... they even have a special tax for just buying a car, above & beyond regular sales tax over there.

 

[NVDisMom]

I believe your vote should have to do with what is best for the country as a whole, not for your own personal gain. So what class you would be considered is irrelevent.

To answer your original question though...Do you receive EIC, TANF, Section 8, utility subsidies, Medicaid, or free school lunches for your children? No? Then you are considered middle class. Unless, of coarse you make more than $150,000. Then you are rich!

 

[Took]

Clearly, income alone isn't the issue, OP, as different incomes in different areas may be classified as "middle class." In my area, where home prices aren't terribly high, a six figure income is quite upper-middle class and over $250,000 IS rich.

In NY or Chicago, the numbers are probably much different.

 

[Patch'sD]

It's true. There are parts of New Jersey where the taxes on a regular home run $25,000 a year. In NY its the income taxes and taxes on everything you buy that overwhelm regular folks... they even have a special tax for just buying a car, above & beyond regular sales tax over there.

I have to agree here in Long Island New York, according to Joe Biden. We are the most patriotic people in the US, as defined by the amount of taxes we pay. State Income Tax, State and County Sales Tax, Property Taxes (School, Fire Protection, Library, County, and Town Taxes), Sewer Tax, and a few more.

Our Salaries may be high but the cost of living here is very high.

 

[aprilgail2]

Clearly, income alone isn't the issue, OP, as different incomes in different areas may be classified as "middle class." In my area, where home prices aren't terribly high, a six figure income is quite upper-middle class and over $250,000 IS rich.

In NY or Chicago, the numbers are probably much different.

oh yea they are much different LOL- on Long Island if you are under 50,000 you are about poverty level! When you are paying 10,000-15,000 on property tax alone (and I am talking a normal size home like on a small lot of 80X100, not a big house on a lot of land) then add your house payment in, bills etc- you are lucky to have money for food after that if you only make 50,000. 250,000 is comfortable-far from rich but comfortable.

 

[lindalinda]

oh yea they are much different LOL- on Long Island if you are under 50,000 you are about poverty level! When you are paying 10,000-15,000 on property tax alone (and I am talking a normal size home like on a small lot of 80X100, not a big house on a lot of land) then add your house payment in, bills etc- you are lucky to have money for food after that if you only make 50,000. 250,000 is comfortable-far from rich but comfortable.

The property tax differences are staggering. That alone would keep me from living in those places. I am lucky to be in an area with fairly low property taxes.

 

[MidgeD79]

Social class isn't defined by income alone. It is also defined by one's education, social status, history of family social status etc.There are also defined classes within a class such as a farmer who works his land vs the farmer who hires people to work his land. Just because a person has TONS of money does not make him upper class. On the other end, just because a person may receive some assistance from the government doesn't mean they're lower class.

 

[Mad4Mickey]

ohhh ohhhh I know the answer to this one


I read this in the Dallas paper on Sunday ....

" It is all realitive to your situation "

I like it I really do .

Who knows what is what and this election has nothing to do with that.
There was a whole article in the paper about this subject . It talked about how people think they are one class but are really another if you look at numbers. Most people when asked said they were middle class and over 70% of those people had and income that was what the goverment says is poverty level . I cant remember what the upper middle class number was but they also said there were people who thought at 250K a year they were middle class.

So there is the answer from a " middle class McCain sign having married chick with 2 kid grown kids "

 

[luvmy3]

The property tax differences are staggering. That alone would keep me from living in those places. I am lucky to be in an area with fairly low property taxes.

Dh works about an hour north of NYC and we couldn't even afford the taxes there, and he makes 6 figures. We live almost an hour north of his job.
I consider us middle class where we live now. If it is based on income alone, and we moved an hour south we would be lower/mid and 2 hours would be lower-class.

 

[Mad4Mickey]

Social class isn't defined by income alone. It is also defined by one's education, social status, history of family social status etc.

I agree with you except the education and family social status LOL at least in my situation it is just not true and I am proud to say it is not
My sister has a 4 year degree and makes way less then I do and is way more unhappy about her position . My DH has 3 degrees and chooses to be a Fireman he also makes less then I do . Number of years spent in school ? Only the 12 they forced me to go to LOL
Social status I aint no one special but I know and hang out with people who have thier own TV shows . Wierd right ?? They like my hillbillie twang I think .
My other sister is dating one of the Dallas Mavericks he makes over 775K a year and sits on the bench alot . She makes about 10 bucks an hour he doesnt care about social status . ( I think she bakes him cookies LOL)

Our family history says we should be on welfare living in a shanty and no I am not kidding .

My sisters think they are both middle class , I not only think but I know I am " Poor White Trash with just enough money to scare the others "

 

[mjkacmom]

oh yea they are much different LOL- on Long Island if you are under 50,000 you are about poverty level! When you are paying 10,000-15,000 on property tax alone (and I am talking a normal size home like on a small lot of 80X100, not a big house on a lot of land) then add your house payment in, bills etc- you are lucky to have money for food after that if you only make 50,000. 250,000 is comfortable-far from rich but comfortable.

You're not kidding! Low 6 figures here, living in a house you described, struggling financially. We could've moved to NC and bought a house in cash, but the grandparents live here, and are an important part of our childrens' lives.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Well don't tell us you live in NYC or LA, because on the DIS anything less than 6 figures is just about poverty in those areas apparently!

Still true...we know we're here.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

It's true. There are parts of New Jersey where the taxes on a regular home run $25,000 a year. In NY its the income taxes and taxes on everything you buy that overwhelm regular folks... they even have a special tax for just buying a car, above & beyond regular sales tax over there.

Thats true. I lived near Boston. Our household income was around 125k and we were way lower middle class honestly. We have since moved where with that same income we are now upper middle class or rich depending on how you look at it.

 

[Hoodie]

I have to agree here in Long Island New York, according to Joe Biden. We are the most patriotic people in the US, as defined by the amount of taxes we pay. State Income Tax, State and County Sales Tax, Property Taxes (School, Fire Protection, Library, County, and Town Taxes), Sewer Tax, and a few more.

Our Salaries may be high but the cost of living here is very high.

I live in the DC area and Boston before that, so I know all about being "patriotic"

Honestly, the differences you describe is really what drives me nuts about out current income-based tax system. $100,000 along the DC/New York/Boston corridor is the equivalent of about $67k in Cleveland. Obama's famous $250k threshold for 2 income families in New York is equal to $150k in Cleveland. IMO we either need to move to flat tax, no loopholes or to the consumption tax. Or, we can make things really complicated and have the IRS adjust income for metro region. The Fed gov't acknowledges the cost of living difference in the salaries of its own employees, but doesn't recognize it when it comes to getting paid by the taxpayer.

 

[celerystalker]

The poverty guidelines are a joke! They are the same for all 48 contiguous states.

I found a cost of living calculator at cnn.com
http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html

If a person is "poor" here in Nashville and makes 10,400 a year (the poverty guideline for 1 person), they would make $24,468 in Manhattan with a similar job.

I make 41,000 here - I'd make $96,463 in Manhattan.

The moral - don't move to New York!

 

[SereneOne]

I believe your vote should have to do with what is best for the country as a whole, not for your own personal gain. So what class you would be considered is irrelevent.

To answer your original question though...Do you receive EIC, TANF, Section 8, utility subsidies, Medicaid, or free school lunches for your children? No? Then you are considered middle class. Unless, of coarse you make more than $150,000. Then you are rich!

Because my daughter receives a small amount of SSI Disability, she has Medicaid as her secondary insurance and I do not consider us lower class. We are middle class.