In California, You Just Think You’re Middle Class

But just wait until you see what it costs to live here in California. A new poll from MoneyLion shows how incredibly difficult it is afford anything in places you’d like to live, and how the classic notion of a middle-class lifestyle has drastically changed. The report’s key findings:

• You need a six-figure income in five major cities to break into the lowest end of the middle class. These cities and their incomes are Sunnyvale, California ($124,113); Fremont, California ($121,004); Santa Clara, California ($119,305); Bellevue ($110,384); and San Mateo, California ($102,336).

• The lowest end of middle-class income is under $50,000 in only two California cities: Inglewood ($48,500) and El Monte ($45,353).

• The highest end of middle-class income is $250,000+ in 11 cities. They are Sunnyvale ($372,340); Fremont ($363,012); Santa Clara ($357,916); Bellevue ($331,152); San Mateo ($307,008); San Jose, California ($292,854); Carlsbad, California ($285,496); Arlington ($284,228); San Francisco ($281,940); Irvine, California ($273,438); and Thousand Oaks, California ($271,206).

• California dominated America’s 48 most expensive cities with 39 metros. The nine remaining cities and where they rank as most expensive to live in are Bellevue, Washington (#9); Honolulu (#17); Seattle (#21); Arlington, Virginia (#23); Boulder, Colorado (#24); Boston (#27); Yonkers, New York (#36); Alexandria, Virginia (#40); and Jersey City, New Jersey (#46).

In other words, if you live in California, with high taxes, sooo many rules, mammoth housing costs, insurance expensive (if you can get it), and electeds that only want you to give them more of your money to spread-around–good like getting into, let along moving up in middle class neighborhoods.

More from MoneyLion.com:

Here’s what you need to earn to lead a middle-class lifestyle in the nation’s most expensive cities.

1. Sunnyvale, California

• 2024 median household income: $186,170
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $124,113
• Highest end of middle-class income: $372,340
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $124,113 to $206,856
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $289,600 to $372,340

2. San Mateo, California

• 2024 median household income: $153,504
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $102,336
• Highest end of middle-class income: $307,008
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $102,336 to $170,560
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $238,786 to $307,008

3. San Francisco

• 2024 median household income: $140,970
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $93,980
• Highest end of middle-class income: $281,940
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $93,980 to $156,633
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $219,289 to $281,940

4. Santa Clara, California

• 2024 median household income: $178,958
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $119,305
• Highest end of middle-class income: $357,916
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $119,305 to $198,842
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $278,381 to $357,916

5. Berkeley, California

• 2024 median household income: $108,092
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $72,061
• Highest end of middle-class income: $216,184
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $72,061 to $120,102
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $168,145 to $216,184

6. Fremont, California

• 2024 median household income: $181,506
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $121,004
• Highest end of middle-class income: $363,012
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $121,004 to $201,673
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $282,345 to $363,012

7. San Jose, California

• 2024 median household income: $146,427
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $97,618
• Highest end of middle-class income: $292,854
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $97,618 to $162,697
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $227,777 to $292,854

8. Daly City, California

• 2024 median household income: $123,547
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $82,365
• Highest end of middle-class income: $247,094
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $82,365 to $137,274
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $192,186 to $247,094

9. Bellevue, Washington

• 2024 median household income: $165,576
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $110,384
• Highest end of middle-class income: $331,152
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $110,384 to $183,973
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $257,565 to $331,152

10. Glendale, California

• 2024 median household income: $88,393
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $58,929
• Highest end of middle-class income: $176,786
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $58,929 to $98,214
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $137,502 to $176,786

11. Burbank, California

• 2024 median household income: $97,082
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $64,721
• Highest end of middle-class income: $194,164
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $64,721 to $107,869
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $151,018 to $194,164

12. Carlsbad, California

• 2024 median household income: $142,748
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $95,165
• Highest end of middle-class income: $285,496
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $95,165 to $158,609
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $222,054 to $285,496

13. Torrance, California

• 2024 median household income: $116,217
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $77,478
• Highest end of middle-class income: $232,434
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $77,478 to $129,130
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $180,784 to $232,434

14. Pasadena, California

• 2024 median household income: $105,192
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $70,128
• Highest end of middle-class income: $210,384
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $70,128 to $116,880
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $163,634 to $210,384

15. Irvine, California

• 2024 median household income: $136,719
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $91,146
• Highest end of middle-class income: $273,438
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $91,146 to $151,910
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $212,676 to $273,438

16. Huntington Beach, California

• 2024 median household income: $120,919
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $80,613
• Highest end of middle-class income: $241,838
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $80,613 to $134,354
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $188,098 to $241,838

17. Honolulu

• 2024 median household income: $86,504
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $57,669
• Highest end of middle-class income: $173,008
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $57,669 to $96,116
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $134,564 to $173,008

18. Costa Mesa, California

• 2024 median household income: $111,505
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $74,337
• Highest end of middle-class income: $223,010
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $74,337 to $123,894
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $173,454 to $223,010

19. Oakland, California

• 2024 median household income: $101,600
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $67,733
• Highest end of middle-class income: $203,200
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $67,733 to $112,889
• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $158,046 to $203,200

20. Los Angeles

• 2024 median household income: $81,939
• Lowest end of middle-class income: $54,626
• Lower-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $54,626 to $91,043

• Upper-middle-class range (lowest end-highest end): $127,463 to $163,878

 

Read the details here.