What is Middle Class?

I was perusing a blog called "Shenanigans" by Anne Schroeder Mullins on the Politico website today and watched a video she had posted that displayed Rep. Allyson Schwartz as including individuals and families earning $250,000 a year and up in the middle class. When the commentator threw out the number $400,000 a year, looking for a cap to what Rep. Schwartz was going to agree to, her Republican colleague, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, interjected, pointing out that $400,000 a year and up was getting into the top 1% of Americans, folks who are obviously not middle class anymore.

But what exactly defines the middle class? And who can claim to be a part of the middle class?

The greatest problem with defining a middle class is that yearly household income, which is almost always used, is a pretty poor way to differentiate standard of living. What is middle class in Upper Manhattan will dwarf the middle class in rural Nebraska. In addition, a family of ten with the same income as a family of two will have considerably less economic security and influence.

There are some consistent characteristics of the middle class. They are generally college educated. They usually hold some sort of professional or managerial positions. They generally have some level of economic security and most don't live paycheck to paycheck. Most are homeowners, and a good number live outside of major cities. In general, they make enough money to be comfortable, but not enough to be overly influential. Members of the middle-class also experience a greater deal of economic mobility than those in the lower classes.

However, there is some definition that should place the middle class somewhere... say... in the middle. I think we can agree that Rep. Schwartz is a little beyond the scope of reality including such wealthy individuals and families into the middle class.

Not all of America is average America...