This is how much money you need to earn in SC to be in the middle class in 2026

For generations, joining the middle class has been a cornerstone of the American Dream.

It’s a status that historically meant a person had achieved a stable income, owned a decent-sized house, took vacations, funded college tuition for their kids and saved enough for retirement.

The core middle class was once the largest economic population segment in the U.S. out of five classes (poor, lower-middle class, core-middle class, upper-middle class, wealthy), and now it’s shrinking, but for a reason you might not expect.

According to a recent report from the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy think tank based in Washington, D.C., in 2001, 33.2% of the population was in the core middle class, and as of 2024, that percentage had dropped to 30.8%.

It didn’t shrink because people became poorer; quite the opposite. More people’s incomes outgrew the core-middle class range and ended up in the upper-middle class. In 2001, 21.9% of the population was in the upper-middle class, and as of 2024, the percentage went up to 31.1%, making it the largest economic segment in the U.S.

However, reaching the middle class still takes a little more money each year. SmartAsset, a financial technology company, released a study that shows how much money a person in each state needs to make to reach a middle-class lifestyle in 2026.

The study used Pew Research’s definition of middle income — two-thirds to double the median household income — to calculate the middle-class income ranges for all 50 states based on the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Here’s how much money a person in South Carolina needs to make in 2026 to be considered middle-class, according to SmartAsset:

Income needed in SC to be middle class

Compared to other states, it doesn’t take much to be considered middle-class in SC.

SC ranked 38th among the most expensive states for middle-class living in 2026. A South Carolinian only needs an income of $48,233 to join the lower-middle class, $72,350 to join the core-middle class and $144,700 to join the upper-middle class.

This is a jump from last year’s report, when SmartAsset said a person in SC only needed $45,198 to $135,608 to be considered middle-class.

Currently, the average income for households in SC is $95,567, and the median income is $69,324.

5 states with the most income needed to be middle class

In these five states, you can make more than $200,000 and still be considered middle-class. Here’s how much you need to make just to be considered middle class in these states:

1. Massachusetts: Middle-class income is between$69,885 and $209,656
2. New Jersey: Middle-class income is between $69,529 and $208,588
3. Maryland: Middle-class income is between $68,603 and $205,810
4. Hawaii: Middle-class income is between $67,163 and $201,490
5. California: Middle-class income is between $66,766 and $200,298