We're All Middle Class... Right?

No, if you make $250,000 you are not middle class. You're not middle class if you make more than $100,000 either (and no, the definition doesn't change if you are "middle class" in San Francisco and "middle class" in Beverly Hills).

See this quote from today's New York Times article Rich People Still Don't Realize They're Rich by Catherine Rampell:

"Everyone thinks they’re middle-class partly because of cultural reasons, and also partly because of the way the income distribution is skewed. The greatest income inequality is at the very top. As a result, people who are rich but not the richest — in the $250,000 zone, say — see they have more than lots of poor people, but also much less than a few very visibly rich people. Then they conclude they’re in the middle, so they must be middle class."

For more articles on the definition of what is a middle class, read this Liz Pulliam Weston piece.