In 2025, being part of the American upper class involves more than just a high salary. While earning $169,800 might be the benchmark, true upper-class status is shaped by a combination of income ...

An annual household income of at least $131,566 is now needed to qualify as upper-middle class in New York state — but you need even more money in neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut.

For income, Pew Research sets the upper class income threshold at $169,800 for a three-person household in 2025. But income is just one piece of the puzzle. Your net worth—what you own minus ...

However, only 2% of respondents in a Gallup poll said they were “upper class,” while another 15% said they were “upper-middle class.” It’s easy for the well-off to imagine someone doing ...

Below that is considered lower-income class; above it is upper-income. The income required for the top 1% in the nation, according to a SmartAsset study , averages around $787,712.