AnswerIn Missouri, a middle-class household earns roughly $48,000 to $143,200 per year — bracketing the state median household income of $71,600.
Middle-class range: $48,000 – $143,200 · State median: $71,600
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Estimates · Pew Research Center methodology (0.67× to 2× median)
Middle Class Income in Missouri (2026)
What it takes to count as middle class in Missouri— anchored to the state's ACS 2024 median household income and the Pew Research Center's 0.67×-to-2× framework. Most populous city: Kansas City.
In Missouri, a household is middle class in 2026 if it earns between $48,000 and $143,200 per year, bracketing the state median of $71,600. That is the Pew Research Center's 0.67×-to-2× window applied to US Census Bureau ACS 2024 data — 12.3% below the national median.
Missouri middle-class bounds
Following Pew Research Center methodology, middle-income households earn two-thirds to double the median. For Missouri, that means anywhere from $48,000 on the low end up to $143,200 on the high end. Below $48,000 is classified as lower-income; above $143,200 is upper-income.
Local context: Kansas City
Missouri's two largest metros pull the state in different directions. Kansas City has built a credible tech and ag-finance hub anchored by Cerner (now Oracle Health), H&R Block, and the Federal Reserve regional bank, with a freight-logistics corridor running south toward Joplin. St. Louis carries a more mature pharma and bioscience footprint — Bayer-Monsanto's Creve Coeur campus, BJC HealthCare, and the Cortex innovation district — alongside a long-running population decline in the city proper. Springfield in the southwest combines Bass Pro headquarters, healthcare, and an evangelical-economy cluster around Assemblies of God. Branson tourism employs roughly 30,000 hospitality workers seasonally at wages that anchor lower-Pew households. Lead and coal mining in the eastern Ozarks have declined sharply, while ag-tech research at the University of Missouri keeps Columbia's middle class growing through public-sector and private R&D payrolls.
Compare Midwest states
Frequently asked questions
What income is considered middle class in Missouri in 2026?
In Missouri, a household is considered middle class if it earns roughly $48,000 to $143,200 per year, using the Pew Research definition (two-thirds to double the state median household income of $71,600).
How is the middle class defined?
We use the Pew Research Center definition: middle-income households earn between two-thirds (0.67×) and double (2.00×) the relevant median household income.
Is $71,600 a middle-class income in Missouri?
Yes. $71,600 is the ACS 2024 median household income for Missouri, so it sits at the center of this page's $48,000 to $143,200 middle-class range.
Related tools and guides
- What Is Middle Class Income in 2026? — full guidedefinition, methodology, history of the term
- Am I Middle Class? — interactive calculatorplug in your income, household size, state
- Middle Class Income by State — huball 50 states + DC compared
Methodology & data sources
Calculations on this page use published benchmarks from US federal statistical agencies. Percentile breakpoints are interpolated linearly between published cells. Figures are in current-year USD unless noted. Numbers are educational estimates, not personalized financial advice.