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I admit I had to look up the definition of lower and middle class.

Using this calculator, it says I'm middle class.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/12/09/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/

@catomd00: same. Our cost of living is high though due to location, and dh's student loans are pretty big from law school.....

I have not read the article but class is such a odd thing to talk about in the U.S. I think there was another article that stated that everyone thinks they are middle class when many are probably are more economically privileged than they probably even realize. Also I would take into account access to family wealth and the ability to give and receive said wealth as a marker of class.

I work in the world of affordable housing in a very expensive city, so I deal with the issue of income inequality on a daily basis.

My husband read this last night and told me we were "upper" and I LOL'd.

I think the main thing with this kind of discussion is to separate income and class. You can be an upper income earner but not part of the upper class.

Upper class people are the ones that have generational wealth. Middle class people, even if they are upper income earners, are the ones that have to work.

We're middle. No student loans and one income. Eventually based on income hope (and to be honest expect) to be upper. We are also in a high cost of living area. I don't know that we will ever feel upper only because as our (well, dh's) income has grown so have our expenses. Eta, both our families are upper, but only his has wealth. We got married young and when dd was born we were almost lower, plus we get a yearly amount dh inherited. So in a way we are moving up because our income will keep growing as we work, but if compared to our parents not really.

technically, we're upper income according to the Pew story - but we pay more than $21k annually in daycare fees, so it feels more like a solid middle.

Growing up, I've been low, middle and I think probably upper for a time as well.

Most people in the US assume they're middle class - even if they're lower or upper income.

We are calculated to be upper in a very high cost of living area but unlike everyone else, I feel like we're upper. I feel like when I was growing up my family was solidly middle class, we went camping for vacations and my parent's didn't pay off their credit card debt until I was in high school after a family member died and left some money. We were never hungry but drove cars past the point that they should have been (one memorable van did not have heat, in the wisconsin winter). My parents fought about money way more than anything else.

My family and I, we do not have to worry about money. Sure, we need to budget for what I think of as extravagent vacations, but, day-to-day, we do not worry money. I feel like the difference, in a practical way, is that I don't let prices at the grocery store deter me from what I want. Sure I shop sales and buy the store brand, but if I want to make steaks, or whatever, I buy them. My mom says she felt the same way when they finally paid off all their debt and were living more comfortably, that she could grocery shop without adding up the bill in her head.
Just my two cents

@Ms.Badger: I agree!!

Growing up we were lower class. Grew up on a farm, mom SAH, dad farmer. For Christmas or school shopping we'd have to sell a cow for $$. For real. Mom was always stressing about bills and we ate very cheaply. I'm talking hotdogs and pork n beans, spam, tomato soup and grilled cheese were staples in our home. We always had food and clothes and anything we really wanted. I think my parents were also bad with money so that didn't help the situation. Meaning when we had any we'd spend it like crazy.

Me and DH live vastly differently than how I grew up. I know part of it's due to us both having incomes. So that helps. But we also live as debt free as possible. Paid off all credit cards. Still have some college loans and car loans and mortgage but that's it. As Badger said we do budget for big things and we shop sales and we are smart with money but I *know* I am in a higher class than when I was growing up.

I think a big difference to me is that if I need brakes on my car or new tires I don't have to panic to figure out how to pay for them... we actually have savings. My parents didn't and never did. Honestly, I think if you are saving for retirement and have any type of regular savings account you are upper class. You just dont' realize it.

ETA: DH was laid off last year and we were still able to make ends meet and still have some savings (he's employed again). this was another eye opening experience proving the difference between lower class and what we are now. Had this happened to my parents we would have been doomed.

@Adira: i think it's reality. One that a lot of people don't see. Just my opinion.

@Ajsmommy: Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think that was always the case, which is why people are confused about where the middle class ends and the upper class begins. Wage increases haven't increased at the same rate as inflation, unfortunately.

@Greentea: Agreed. I grew up "upper class," but not that far removed from lower. My parents always stressed how lucky we were -- literally, that a lot of what you have is luck, based on your circumstances at birth, which obviously no one can control. My great-grandfather was a janitor, and with a little luck and a lot of help, his son (my grandfather) went to college. That changed everything. I do think it's easy to forget, while you're just living your daily life, how good you have it compared to a lot of others.

@Ms.Badger: We're middle income now, but I grew up low income and I really felt like I'd made it when I realized DH and I never really fought about money. We certainly budget, but there's not a ton of anxiety there so it isn't a sore topic. It feels really good, actually. My parents fought about it a lot. I get it as an adult but it sucked as a kid.

We are in the lower end of middle on 2 incomes. It's sad that it is considered middle. We live in an expensive area. We didn't qualify for any help when I checked. And that is for formula or any state provided help with our daughter after early steps for delayed speech. We can't afford real vacations away from home and we don't have enough left over to save. It's sucks. But I do realize we have everything we need and not everyone can say that at the end of the day. @Ajsmommy: agree

@Ajsmommy: thanks for that post. According to income we are solidly middle class but I honestly feel like we have a decent amount especially compared to people our age (mid-late 20s) or who graduated around the same time when the economy was really bad. Reading on here that people are calculated to be upper and still feel middle makes me wonder where we really are/should be!

I grew up very low class and my husband grew up lower-middle to middle class for most of his childhood. The calculator says we are upper class. I would agree with the assessment based on the fact that we feel relatively comfortable on a day to day basis, but I feel like a lot of it is because we plan a ton. We have large student loan payments, do not qualify for most tax credits (i.e. Roth IRAs, student loan interest deductions, tax advantaged savings programs like Coverdells, etc), and we live in a high COL state. We pay a lot in state and federal taxes. But we also budget carefully, don't take on any other debt, and minimize monthly subscription services to counterbalance that.

I guess I just don't understand why the media and politicians make such a fuss about this? I feel like this weird American obsession with the middle class is at best an outdated idea and more likely a total myth. From what I can tell, at some brief point in our history a few privileged people could work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, with an hour lunch, and still be able to raise a family on 1 income and retire at 55 and for some reason THIS became the ideal that we strived for in terms of defining a middle class. Honestly, I would bet MOST people even in the "good old days" didn't live that reality and instead worked their tails off and lived frugally in ways most people couldn't imagine doing these days.

Frankly, even good middle class lifestyles back then would look lower class poor today. My DH's grandparents were one of those few privileged people who lived that middle class "dream." But what it looked like in reality were trip lake vacations, a modest 1,000 sq. foot home they live in to this day, siblings sharing tiny bedrooms, attending the closest state college while living at home, backyard BBQ rehearsal dinners, cake and punch wedding receptions, growing and canning your own vegetables, and Denny's to eat out.

I don't know where I'm going with this, except I guess I feel like this middle-class narrative can be more harmful than its worth and articles like this just make people feel like they are being screwed or missing out or resentful towards people who are "rich" - when in reality the much of the "upper class" isn't, as many have pointed out, living the high life per se.

I feel like growing up, I was middle class. When I was really little my parents struggled with daycare costs, but as time went on they made more and more money. We never wanted for food or drove beat up cars. I grew in the kind of town where most kids got their parents' beat up toyota when they were in HS. When I was 17 I got my Dad's 8 year old Ford Taurus. So yes, we were all "wealthy" enough to be driving, but no one was driving BMWs and Mercedes to school.

As an adult, I am well aware that I make "upper class" money. I am very lucky for the life that I lead, but I also work hard and am highly educated in a technical field. We don't want for food or clothes or have to worry about whether we can afford steak for dinner. But with daycare costs and housing prices in the Boston area, we do need to be mindful with how we spend.

@Ajsmommy: That makes sense. I misunderstood your comment.

I'll admit - this is somewhat of a sensitive subject for me. It is such a big topic in the media right now (minimum wage, middle class, etc) with so many people claiming that what I watch my brother do every day is practically impossible. So I'll admit that I can be quick to jump to the defense of his ability to be successful, happy, and thriving.

@Mrs.KMM: Again, I assume, but as a single man. These figures are for a family of 3.

We're on the same side, people actually need less money than they think they do to be middle class, upper class etc. I know that you can live quite well on less than what these "predictors" suggest

@dagret: That's what I assumed!