U.S. Income class hierarchy (tier, mortgage, companies, financial)

[JMadison]

Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah

This is the problem with defining someone's "class" by income. I would call these divisions "income levels", not "class". For instance, if you were to lose a job that paid $125k and took one that paid only $35k, would your "class" really have changed? Perhaps your lifestyle would, but you would be the same person, with the same educational level, cultural attitudes, and other components that go into defining one's "class".

This may just be semantics, but it's a loaded concept. Americans consider their "class" to be something personal, something related to their self-worth. To imply that one cannot be of a certain "class" because of something they have no control over - a job with a certain pay level - is silly.

Case in point: would you ever, ever consider Jackie Kennedy to be anything other than upper class, regardless of her income level? Makes you wonder why more folks don't consider all the other attributes that go into "class" than just money. I could show you some guys who inherited or hit the lottery, but will never be anything more than the lower-class slobs they allowed themselves to degenerate into!

Essentially you are drawing a distinction between two concepts. "Socio-Economic Class" and "Classy Behaviour" (for lack of a better term.)

The first kind is the type that economists worry about. The second is the kind Hollywood worries about. (And of course Old Money, etc.)

Perhaps shorter terms would be Class vrs. Breeding.

Just as a side thought, in some places, Jackie O's manners and demeanor might, in fact get her labeled "snob" or "putting on airs", rather than "classy", LOL! You know, not all areas of the country necessarily appreciate that you know which side of the plate the fork goes on, etc. (Not a crack on Jackie by the way, I like Jackie, LOL!)

On the other hand, if you were to behave as Jackie O, and weren't rich, you could just at easily run aground of the critique of, "Fake". LOL!

And then there's the fact that Old Money and Neuveax Riche have different definitions of class. Easiest one to spot is the difference in attitudes about cars and "bling".

Suffice to say, there are plenty of deliniations and subtleties, but I think we both know the OP was talking about $$$, plain and simple.

[Stac2007]

Originally Posted by gdude

I think that is pretty accurate

I fall under Middle Class

So do I and I feel poor.

[usmcfamily]

Originally Posted by JMadison

Essentially you are drawing a distinction between two concepts. "Socio-Economic Class" and "Classy Behaviour" (for lack of a better term.)

The first kind is the type that economists worry about. The second is the kind Hollywood worries about. (And of course Old Money, etc.)

Perhaps shorter terms would be Class vrs. Breeding.

Just as a side thought, in some places, Jackie O's manners and demeanor might, in fact get her labeled "snob" or "putting on airs", rather than "classy", LOL! You know, not all areas of the country necessarily appreciate that you know which side of the plate the fork goes on, etc. (Not a crack on Jackie by the way, I like Jackie, LOL!)

On the other hand, if you were to behave as Jackie O, and weren't rich, you could just at easily run aground of the critique of, "Fake". LOL!

And then there's the fact that Old Money and Neuveax Riche have different definitions of class. Easiest one to spot is the difference in attitudes about cars and "bling".

Suffice to say, there are plenty of deliniations and subtleties, but I think we both know the OP was talking about $$$, plain and simple.

This is so true. I have met lower income people with so much class and I have met high income people with absolutely none.

I do not think money equals class at all.

[JMadison]

Originally Posted by usmcfamily

This is so true. I have met lower income people with so much class and I have met high income people with absolutely none.

I do not think money equals class at all.

Well, it does to classic economists, LOL!

For a somewhat humourous look at the whole subject check out the book, "Class: A Guide Through the American Status System" by Paul Fussell.

I think he and his cronies broke it into about 9 distinct classes.

[UrbanQuest]

I'm speaking in generality here. The amount of money you make will aford you a lifestyle which alows you to do things, people in the lower classes cannot. You will most likely be around (neighborhood where you live) people who are of the same likeness overrall. Nothing is 100%, but most people in my neighborhood for example are more alike when speaking of generalities than people living in poorer towns nearby or the really wealthy towns either. This list is accurate at a national level. Most would agree, while cost of living varies across the country, the cost for a Benz, first class ticket, hotel rooms, private schools and designer clothes are uniform.

[PYT]

Originally Posted by killer2021

This is a more accurate depiction of HOUSEHOLD income:
income range - percent of population who make less than the amount listed

$25,000 - 25.24% (--poor
$44,389 - 50% (---middle class
$75,000 - 71.90% (---upper middle class
$100,000 - 83.33% (---rich
$200,000 - 97.33% (---super rich
$250,000+ -98.50% (---super super rich

Household income in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Personally in my book if you make more than 100,000 household income, you are rich.

Clearly you have never lived in California.

[stan4]

Killer, you have no concept of rich. $200k? Puh-lease.

[Waterboy526]

Originally Posted by PYT

Clearly you have never lived in California.

I live in Raleigh, NC and I wouldn't even think those numbers are accurate for here. My wife and I make about $100k a year and I would not call us rich by any means. After the house payment, car payment, daycare expenses, and saving for retirement, we get to have a little play money, but I would not call us "rich" by any stretch.

In today's day and age I think Rich would be making at least or close to $1 million dollars a year. Upper middle class would be making several hundred thousand or more. It also depends on a lot of factors. I'm one out of 11 children and for my family to be considered rich my dad would have to have made a lot more money than he did and he was pulling down at least $150k in his prime working years. My family lived in debt!

[goodbyehollywood]

There have been numerous articles over the years in many different publications (Money, Kiplinger's, Smart Money, the WSJ, NYT, etc.) talking about Middle-Class Millionaires. Households earning below the million mark may be comfortable, well-off and solidly upper middle-class or even upper-upper middle-class, but I doubt many would call themselves rich. Especially when 50% of their income goes to taxes, another 25-30% goes to housing and the rest to cars, kids, retirement and living expenses. Net income is very different from gross. Rich isn't what it used to be.

[supernerdgirl]

Originally Posted by goodbyehollywood

There have been numerous articles over the years in many different publications (Money, Kiplinger's, Smart Money, the WSJ, NYT, etc.) talking about Middle-Class Millionaires. Households earning below the million mark may be comfortable, well-off and solidly upper middle-class or even upper-upper middle-class, but I doubt many would call themselves rich. Especially when 50% of their income goes to taxes, another 25-30% goes to housing and the rest to cars, kids, retirement and living expenses. Net income is very different from gross. Rich isn't what it used to be.

so what if their NET income was $1 million? Would they still be crying about not being rich??