How much do you need to earn to be middle class in Kansas? New report gives range
Kansas residents need to make more to be considered in the “middle class” compared to in 2022, according to a new report.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports Kansas has a median household income of $72,639, though some of the state’s counties have much lower median incomes.
A March 17 report from finance website GoBankingRates reports the minimum household income required to be considered middle class increased by $1,928 in Kansas from 2022 to 2025.
The report defines “middle class” as an annual household income two-thirds to double the median income and outlined middle class incomes for all 50 states. Minimum middle class incomes ranged from $36,610 to $67,768, depending on the state.
U.S. residents have seen the cost for essentials increase across the board recently, with a 2.8% overall inflation rate from February 2024 to February 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. One of the only items to see price relief has been gas. Current and proposed tariffs by President Donald Trump’s administration are expected to increase consumer prices for some items, as well.
What’s considered middle class in Kansas?
A Kansas household needed to bring in $46,498 in 2022 to be considered middle class, but that number has increased to $48,426 in 2025, according to GoBankingRates. In 2012, the state’s minimum middle class income was $34,182.
Mississippi has the lowest income needed to be considered middle class in the U.S., while Maryland has the highest.
GoBankingRates reports Kansas incomes from $48,426 to $145,278 are middle class, and the “upper-middle” class starts at $112,994.
A recent report from finance website SmartAsset named Jewell, Graham and Comanche counties among the poorest in Kansas, with median incomes ranging from $47,071 to $49,754.
The state’s minimum wage is the same as the federal minimum, at $7.25, and has been for 16 years. A single adult without children needs to make more than twice this amount to afford basic necessities in Wichita. The tipped minimum cash wage in the commonwealth is $2.13 an hour.
A Kansas resident would need to work 112 hours per week at the minimum wage to afford a typically priced, two-bedroom rental home, the National Low Income Housing Coalition reports.
Wichita has a median household income of $63,072, according to the Census Bureau, and 15.9% of the city’s residents live in poverty.
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 9:24 AM with the headline "How much do you need to earn to be middle class in Kansas? New report gives range."
