What salary qualifies as "middle class" in Kentucky?

A new report from personal finance website GOBankingRates attempts to answer that question using data from the U.S. Census Bureau to find what income range is considered middle class for all 50 states.

The site used a common definition of middle class to mean households with an annual income that is two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income.

According to the latest data from U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in 2022 for the entire country was $75,149, which would put the national range for the middle class income between $50,100 to $150,298.

Kentucky's middle-class income range in 2022 was $40,122 to $120,366, up more than 41% over 2012, where just $28,407 was considered the entry income to be considered middle class.

Here's a breakdown of Kentucky's middle class income ranges in 2012 and 2022:

Kentucky's 2012 median was $42,610, compared to the 2022 median of $60,183, according to American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. That 41% jump means Kentucky saw the 22nd-largest rise in median household income between 2012-2022.

In those years, Oregon saw the biggest change, a 53% rise, while Alaska saw the smallest at about 23.5%.

Mississippi had the lowest household income needed to be considered middle class, at $35,323, while Maryland had the highest, at $65,641.

Reach growth and development reporter Matthew Glowicki at [email protected] or 502-582-4000.