What Qualifies as Middle Income in Each State?

Flowing data interactive graph is a great visual representation of what the median income* is in each state. It goes one step further and examines how the median income changes depending on household size (1-5 people).

*The Pew Research Institute definition of middle income is two-thirds of the median to twice the median.

To ask:

• Think about your own condition (or a condition you are interested in).
  • How do you estimate the median income for a household of four there, based on your sense of the cost of living?
  • Then look it up on the map: how close were you?
  • Are you surprised by the data?
• Why is it important to adjust for family size when comparing incomes across states?
• Choose two states with very different middle-income categories (for example, one state at the low end and one state at the high end).
  • What are their ranges for a household of 4 people?
  • What could explain the difference in median income between these two states?
• Looking at the pattern across states, do most states cluster around a similar middle-income category or is there wide spread? What does that say about the way economic conditions vary in the US?

Follow this interactive with an NGPF resource!

About the author

Sonia Dalal

Sonia has always had a passion for instruction and improving student learning experiences. She has come a long way since her days as an elementary school student, when she would “teach” music after school and read to her very attentive stuffed animals. Since then, she has taught students as a K-12 teacher, worked at several EdTech startups in the Bay Area, and completed her Ed.M in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is passionate about bringing the high-quality personal finance content and instruction she wished she had received in college to the next generation of students and educators. When she’s not creating lesson guides or working with teachers, Sonia enjoys spending her time singing, being outdoors, and adventuring with family and friends!

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