Topix Underground

"(NEXSTAR) – A six-figure income used to be shorthand for “rich.” Now, it’s barely enough to get by in many parts of the country.

And it’s not just California and New York where families are feeling the pinch. The rising cost of housing, childcare, groceries – and well, just about everything – has stretched households’ income further and further. Even big earners have found themselves living paycheck to paycheck.

In a dozen states, a household income topping $100,000 isn’t considered particularly high. When compared to other earners, it’s actually considered “lower-middle class,”


Rank     State           Top income for lower-middle class
1.   Massachusetts   $116,476
2.   New Jersey   $115,882
3.   Maryland   $114,339
4.   Hawaii   $111,939
5.   California   $111,277
6.   New Hampshire   $110,869
7.   Washington   $110,432
8.   Colorado   $107,903
9.   Utah   $107,398
10.   Connecticut   $106,721
11.   Alaska   $106,294
12.   Virginia   $102,322