The term “middle class” is a misnomer. The classification is determined by so many variables–with location being one of the biggest. Every campaign season, candidates always seem to bandy about declarations, saying the middle class this and the middle class that, and it can be difficult to know just who, exactly, they’re talking about.
For fun, input your income, city and state into CNN Money’s “Are You Middle Class?” calculator. CNN also has an excellent overview entitled “What Is Middle Class, Anyway?”
The definition of middle class isn’t just about income, though. Lifestyle plays a part in the association, too.
2012 and 2013 were big years for books about defining, redefining and/or saving the middle class. From Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele’s The Betrayal of the American Dream to James Carville and Stan Greenberg’s It’s the Middle Class, Stupid!
Here, in a new video called “The Middle Class, Explained,” I explore the various definitions and characteristics of the middle class.
“What Is the Middle Class?” from Kewho Min on Vimeo.