Maintaining a middle class status in Houston only gets harder as the years go on, and the income ceiling to even be labeled as such has just risen even higher. So says SmartAsset's annual "What It Takes to Be Middle Class in America" report for 2025.
According to the latest findings, a Houston household would need to make a minimum of $41,754 but no more than $125,274 to be considered "middle class." For additional context, the median income of a Houston household was $62,637 in 2023.
Last year, the necessary salary range to maintain a middle class designation in Houston was between $40,280 and $120,852 a year.
The report used a variation of Pew Research's definition of a middle class household, stating the salary range is "two-thirds to double the median U.S. salary." To determine income limits, the report analyzed data from the Census Bureau's 2023 one-year American Community Survey, where the most recent data was available. New to the 2025 edition, SmartAsset also determined the middle class income thresholds for all 50 states.
Arlington, Virginia has the highest middle class income range in the country, with households needing to make between $93,470 and $280,438 a year to be labeled "middle class."
In a shift from the 2024 report, SmartAsset decided to only analyze the top 100 most populous U.S. cities, after previously ranking 345 cities. That means Houston-area suburbs like The Woodlands and Sugar Land – which were among the top 15 cities with the highest middle class income threshold nationwide in 2024 – were excluded in this year's analysis.
Houston ranked 75th in the national comparison of U.S. cities with the highest middle class income ranges, after ranking No. 254 in 2024.
Middle class salary ranges in across the 50 states
SmartAsset says Texas has the 23rd largest middle class income range. Texas households would need to make between $50,515 and $151,560 to be labeled "middle class," and the median household income in the state was $75,780 in 2023.
The No. 1 state with the highest income range required is Massachusetts, with middle class households needing to make between $66,565 and $199,716 yearly in 2025.
The study says cost of living changes, rising inflation rates, and shifting wages nationwide have made it more difficult for Americans to maintain their "middle class" status.
"For middle-class Americans, the dream has long been a life of reasonable comfort — a stable home, the ability to save enough money to retire, and enough left over for periodic splurges like family vacations, updated cars, or home improvements," the report's author wrote. "But with living costs surging over the past few years, that dream is getting pricier."
Middle class income thresholds elsewhere in Texas
Plano is the Texas city that has the highest income range to be designated "middle class" in the state, and ranked No. 7 nationwide. Plano households need to make between $72,389 and $217,188 in 2025 to maintain their middle class status, the report found.
On the opposite end of the scale, middle class earners in Lubbock have the smallest income range necessary to be labeled middle class: Between $36,297 and $108,902 a year. The city ranked 92nd nationwide.
Here’s what it takes to be a middle class earner in other Texas cities:
- No. 18 – Austin: $60,995 to $183,002 yearly
- No. 43 – Irving: $52,885 to $158,670 yearly
- No. 46 – Fort Worth: $51,383 to $154,164 yearly
- No. 55 – Garland: $47,815 to $143,458 yearly
- No. 59 – Dallas: $46,743 to $140,242 yearly
- No. 61 – Arlington: $46,134 to $138,416 yearly
- No. 73 – Corpus Christi: $43,421 to $130,276 yearly
- No. 78 – San Antonio: $41,544 to $124,644 yearly
- No. 82 – Laredo: $40,476 to $121,440 yearly
- No. 86 – El Paso: $38,208 to $114,634 yearly
