What income is needed in Kentucky to be considered middle class?

• Kentucky ranks as the 46th state for the income needed to be considered middle class.
• A Kentucky household is defined as middle class with an income between $43,017 and $129,052.
• In Louisville, the middle-class income range is from $44,834 to $134,502.
• The study is based on 2024 U.S. Census data and methodology from the Pew Research Center.

Would you be considered middle class in Kentucky?

As prices and the cost of living continue to rise, it can be difficult to define what it means to be middle class and whether that lifestyle is still attainable in 2026.

The Pew Research Center defines the middle class as households earning between two-thirds and two times the median income. That range, however, varies by state, depending on local economic conditions such as housing affordability and the job market.

Using 2024 U.S. Census data and Pew Research methodology, SmartAsset analyzed all 50 states and the 100 largest U.S. cities to determine the income range needed to qualify as middle class.

Here’s what it means to be middle class in Kentucky, according to the study.

What does it take to be middle-class in Kentucky?

Kentucky ranks 46th among the states for the income needed to maintain a middle-class status, according to the analysis. The state’s median household income is $64,526, with the middle-class income range spanning from a lower bound of $43,017 to an upper bound of $129,052.

How much money is needed to be middle-class in Louisville and Lexington?

Among the 100 cities included in the study, Lexington ranked 69th and Louisville ranked 71st for the income needed to maintain middle-class standing.

In Lexington, the median household income is $69,989, with the middle-class income range extending from a lower bound of $46,659 to an upper bound of $139,978. In Louisville, the median household income is $67,251, with a middle-class income range of $44,834 to $134,502.

See states with highest incomes needed to maintain middle-class status

According to SmartAsset, the following states require the highest median household incomes to maintain middle-class status.

• 1. Massachusetts – $104,828
• 2. New Jersey – $104,294
• 3. Maryland – $102,905
• 4. Hawaii – $100,745
• 5. California – $100,149
• 6. New Hampshire – $99,782
• 7. Washington – $99,389
• 8. Colorado – $97,113
• 9. Utah – $96,658
• 10. Connecticut – $96,049

See states with lowest incomes needed to maintain middle-class status

The following states require the lowest median household incomes to maintain middle-class status, according to SmartAsset.

• 41. Indiana – $71,959
• 42. Missouri – $71,589
• 43. New Mexico – $67,816
• 44. Alabama – $66,659
• 45. Oklahoma – $66,148
• 46. Kentucky – $64,526
• 47. Arkansas – $62,106
• 48. Louisiana – $60,986
• 49. West Virginia – $60,798
• 50. Mississippi – $59,127

How SmartAsset assessed middle-class by state and cities

To determine what the income requirements and limits are to being middle class in different locations, SmartAsset analyzed the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 1-year American Community Survey data for the median household income in all 50 states and among the 100 largest U.S. cities.

SmartAsset stated that it then used the Pew Research definition of middle-class households, which indicates the salary range from two-thirds to double the median U.S. salary, to help determine the middle-class income range.

Contributing: Madison Scott, New York Connect. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.