Just looked into what actually counts as wealthy in California and honestly, the numbers are wild. Everyone assumes six figures means you're upper class, but turns out you need closer to $192k to even be considered upper class in the state. That's almost $23k more than the national threshold.

Here's the thing though - that salary means completely different things depending on where you are. In San Francisco or Silicon Valley, making that kind of money doesn't feel wealthy at all. A basic two-bedroom apartment runs $4k+ monthly, and median home prices are over a million. Meanwhile in Fresno or Bakersfield, that same income stretches way further.

The real kicker? Even with how much is 2 figures income, California's cost of living eats it up fast. Groceries, healthcare, transportation - everything costs significantly more than most states. So that upper class salary? In high-cost areas, it barely gets you middle-class lifestyle. Wealth really isn't just about the paycheck anymore.