The income you need to make in San Francisco to be classified in the lower class might surprise you.
To be clear, social class in America is dependent on a variety of factors. Education, job status, and more can contribute.
But one of the simplest ways to look at social class is based on income, providing an easy comparison and a general sense of where someone stands.
Often, economists break income levels into three categories: upper class, middle class, and low-income lower class.
These are generally based on a median income level for a given area. In San Francisco, where the cost of living is extremely high and salaries are also high, the breakdown is very different from other places.
What Do You Need to Make?
New data from the city of San Francisco reveals that you need to make at least $82,200 per year as an individual or $117,400 for a family of four in order to be considered middle class in San Francisco.
That means that if you make less than about $82,000 as a single person, you’ll be classified as lower income or lower class in the city.