How much do you need to make to be middle class in Idaho? New study reveals the range

About half of U.S. residents live in a middle-class household. But is there a way to know if your household is one of them? 

Idaho’s median household income is right around $75,000, while Boise’s is a little higher at $81,308, according to the Census Bureau’s latest five-year rolling estimates. But there’s plenty of room on either side of that number for a household to still count as middle class. 

So where exactly does the middle class start and end? A new study from personal finance resource website SmartAsset aimed to find the answer.

SmartAsset’s study outlines specific parameters around the middle class in each state. The study used Census Bureau data to calculate the upper and lower limit of the middle class in each state, according to the Pew Research Center’s definition of middle income, which ranges from two-thirds to double an area’s median household income. 

Middle class in Idaho & Boise 

The study found that Idaho residents need a household income of at least $49,956 in order to be considered part of the middle class. Anything between that amount and $149,884 is considered middle class. After that, you’re considered upper class, according to the study. SmartAsset also looked at income data from 100 of the biggest cities in the country in order to determine what would be considered middle class locally. Boise ranked No. 39 among major cities, with its middle class ranging from $53,313 to $159,954 in annual household income.

The study uses the Census Bureau’s one-year median household income estimates, as opposed to the rolling averages, which puts Boise’s at $79,977 and Idaho’s at $74,942. 

The starting point of Idaho’s middle class increased from to last year, when it was $48,518, while Boise’s decreased from $54,278.

 Idaho’s middle class was right around the national median, with the state’s typical household income ranking No. 24 in the country.

Middle-class Idaho cities 

Boise was the only Idaho city mentioned in the study, but if you live in a different area, and want to see how you compare to the median income there, you can check the Pew Research online calculator. The calculator will tell you how your income compares to your city’s middle class. The calculator is based on 2022 data, so it’s not entirely up to date, but you can get a sense of how you compare to other residents in your city.

Cost of living in Idaho 

The study determined the parameters of the middle class using median household income, meaning it doesn’t necessarily reflect the amount required to live comfortably in Idaho. So how does that compare to the state’s middle class and does a middle-class income allow you to live comfortably in Idaho? 

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator, a living wage for one person living on their own is $23.18 an hour, or $48,214 a year. For a four-person household with two working adults, that number rises to $26.82 an hour each, or $111,571 total a year.