Your $100K salary might not make you middle class 🤔

The U.S. Census just dropped 2023 data: median household income hit $80,610. But here's the plot twist—where you actually stand on the wealth ladder isn't just about that paycheck.

Pew Research breaks it down:
- Lower-income: <$56.6K (way more people than you'd think)
- Middle class: $56.6K–$169.8K (narrower than expected)
- Upper-middle: $106K–$250K depending on state
- Upper class: $169.8K+

But location changes everything. That $150K in San Francisco? Feels like $80K in Birmingham. Massachusetts middle class needs $67K–$200K, while lower-cost states ask for way less.

Wild stat: Only 50% of Americans make under $75K annually. And get this—the biggest cluster of households? $100K–$150K range (17%), followed by $50K–$75K (15.7%).

The kicker? Most people miscount their class because they ignore:
- Cost of living adjustments
- Household size (bigger family = need more income)
- Total compensation (benefits > salary alone)
- Regional peer pressure (rich friends make you feel broke)

So that $100K salary? Could be upper-middle in Ohio, barely middle in NYC. The numbers might actually shock you.