Hooray you’re middle class in Texas!

[humbleservant1992]

@resjudicata Politicians wrong concept what middle class means to manipulate people

 

[emmierose80]

@resjudicata Yeah good luck affording anything on a 100k income in Austin/DFW with a family of 4

 

[ernestcop]

@emmierose80 But san antonio metro is better and only 45 minutes away from Austin if you're north

 

[emmierose80]

@ernestcop Still a stretch on 100k for a family of 4 imo

 

[ernestcop]

@emmierose80 I think it's darn good for san antonio with no debt. I've been here for nearly a decade and love it.

 

[emmierose80]

@ernestcop I’ll defer to your lived experience, as I haven’t lived in SA but 100k for a family of 4 feels like a stretch.

In the no debt case, maybe possible, but most Americans almost certainly have a mortgage they need to pay and that has to be accounted for

 

[ernestcop]

@emmierose80 I have a mortgage, but I refinanced when rates were low and my payment is $456 including taxes and insurance. It's not quite paid off but since I have no other loans it feels great and I feel like I'm solid middle class here. Granted I'm also handy and do house work myself.

 

[estebandecinn]

@ernestcop Taxes on a $200k house alone are more than your whole payment. That is outside the norm.

Edit: That was not considering the Homestead exemption, or any other reduction (eg military) though.

 

[ernestcop]

@estebandecinn Homestead exemption really helps out. And there are decent houses for 200k here.

 

[101bruce]

@resjudicata Can’t even think about buying a house on 66k per year so I doubt that’s middle class.

 

[sdw3]

@resjudicata The only way this makes sense in Texas is the rural areas just far out weigh the metro areas. $66k doesn’t go far at all in any of the bigger cities.

 

[ponchsox]

@resjudicata I’m a family of 2 making 70k-ish and it feels like it’s not enough sometimes

 

[linda73]

@resjudicata Very small town here and made 95k last year. But metro areas I feel like I’d be middle class maybe?

 

[longing4truth]

@resjudicata Both the article and the calculator itself conflates middle class with middle income. This data supports middle income. Middle class is a bit more difficult to define.

 

[ace2015]

@resjudicata This is so wrong. $76k a year in MA would NOT make you middle class. Unless we are changing the definition of middle class. In my mind, owning a home is one of the main parts and you can’t buy a home in MA on that. Maybe if you made that 15 years ago, but not anymore. Hell, most new cars would be 3/4 of that amount. On $74k you aren’t owning a home OR buying a new car.

 

[resjudicata]

@ace2015 Yea the governments definition of middle class and the avg persons is WAY OFF.

Most people define it as: own a home, decent car, extra money for maybe 1 vacation per year, money to invest in retirement.

The government thinks in terms of just being able to survive. Work eat sleep rinse wash repeat. They don’t take into account quality of life and the ability to do anything else.