Is Springfield, NJ one of the few true middle class towns left? (Fort Dix: live, farm)

[jobaba]

Originally Posted by vinodelotus

Where are you getting this high class image of Parsippany? Must be from some past experience and not from facts. Directly from city data: median household income $100,176. Median home value $414,000. That's solidly middle class.

I'm from there. And my family lives there.

[jobaba]

Originally Posted by vinodelotus

To me it means people still have to work a regular job. Whether you're blue, pink, white, or green collar you're putting in 40+ hours every week to make a living. $100k household is still very solidly middle class in NJ. You aren't rolling in dough or have the luxury of not working for a while.

And median household income in the state is 70K.

I'll be honest, I mean it's not really worth arguing about, but Parsippany is pretty much the definition of upper middle to me.

What I consider to be middle class is pretty much what most people consider working class. A college educated, US born couple ... who have a progressive career path, not middle class. Upper middle, but whatever, just an opinion.

[Kthnry]

Everyone has a different definition of middle class. Folks in towns like Summit and Chatham will say they're middle class. When have you ever heard anyone call themselves upper class? (Or rich.) And folks in towns like Newark and Orange will say they're middle class. If they have an income that allows them to buy a house, who's to say they're wrong?

[Busch Boy]

Originally Posted by MemoryMaker

Just curious..how would you guys classify Lodi, Garfield and Hasbrouck?

Garfield: Mostly blue collar/working class and a small poor population.
Lodi: Mostly blue collar/working class and a small middle class population.
Hasbrouck Heights: solidly middle class and a small upper-middle class population.

In MY opinion, middle-class equates to the following HHI in Northern NJ for a family of 4:

Blue-collar/working class/lower-middle class:
$60,000-$85,000

Middle class:
$86,000-$200,000

Upper-middle class:
$201,000-$375,000

[vision33r]

It's not only how much you make, it's how much you keep.

There are lots of low income families living all across towns that have median incomes of over $90k. How do they do it? They live off Section 8 and affordable housing. Right at the out skirts or borders of many expensive towns there are low income folks with no job.

[Retriever]

Originally Posted by vision33r

There are lots of low income families living all across towns that have median incomes of over $90k.

I have to ask...
How do you know the income level of "lots" of families in various towns?
Do you prepare their income tax returns?

[DanArt]

Moving into any income area does not guarantee a better life. My cousins have that income bracket ( only because the area is paying him and his wife that much ) and they have decided to move to a more diverse area and never looked back. Because they do not want to have to relearn everything. Or deal with screw up neighbors even if they are not humble

IDK what your looking to do with your property and time. You have people who just want to live small but do big things. People who want to live big but live a small life. Then there are people who do not want to grow up and people are jealous because they are so usted to the abuse

[Busch Boy]

Originally Posted by vision33r

It's not only how much you make, it's how much you keep.

There are lots of low income families living all across towns that have median incomes of over $90k. How do they do it? They live off Section 8 and affordable housing. Right at the out skirts or borders of many expensive towns there are low income folks with no job.

Obviously if you throw in other factors, such as having a large family or poor financial decisions, you’ll be thrown in another class bracket. If you know a family of 4 making 90K on Section 8, then report them because they are definitely cheating the system!

[Retriever]

Originally Posted by Busch Boy

If you know a family of 4 making 90K on Section 8, then report them because they are definitely cheating the system!

Yes, but we are still waiting for him to explain how he is intimately familiar with the income level of "lots" of families in various towns.

[HudsonCoNJ]

Originally Posted by vision33r

It's not only how much you make, it's how much you keep.

There are lots of low income families living all across towns that have median incomes of over $90k. How do they do it? They live off Section 8 and affordable housing. Right at the out skirts or borders of many expensive towns there are low income folks with no job.

Please show me a Section 8 chart or affordable housing application that says a family of 4 with a $90,000 annual income will qualify so that I can tell my wife to quit her job so that we can apply.

Most affordable housing programs I know have VERY low income maximums, even for families of 4. It’s so low that I wonder how those people are even able to afford the “low” rent that some of these programs are charging.


I think the folks living in upper middle class towns with sub $100,000 incomes either bought there home 15+ years ago back when real estate prices were lower or have little to no debt because aside from their homes, they have no major monthly obligations.