AnswerIn South Carolina, a middle-class household earns roughly $48,500 to $144,800 per year — bracketing the state median household income of $72,400.
Middle-class range: $48,500 – $144,800 · State median: $72,400
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Estimates · Pew Research Center methodology (0.67× to 2× median)
Middle Class Income in South Carolina (2026)
What it takes to count as middle class in South Carolina— anchored to the state's ACS 2024 median household income and the Pew Research Center's 0.67×-to-2× framework. Most populous city: Charleston.
In South Carolina, a household is middle class in 2026 if it earns between $48,500 and $144,800 per year, bracketing the state median of $72,400. That is the Pew Research Center's 0.67×-to-2× window applied to US Census Bureau ACS 2024 data — 11.3% below the national median.
South Carolina middle-class bounds
Following Pew Research Center methodology, middle-income households earn two-thirds to double the median. For South Carolina, that means anywhere from $48,500 on the low end up to $144,800 on the high end. Below $48,500 is classified as lower-income; above $144,800 is upper-income.
Local context: Charleston
South Carolina has reinvented its manufacturing economy more successfully than most of its Southern peers. The BMW plant in Spartanburg, the largest BMW plant in the world by output, anchors a dense tier-1 supplier ecosystem along the I-85 corridor. Michelin's North American headquarters is in Greenville, and Boeing's South Carolina operation in North Charleston builds 787 Dreamliners alongside a deep aerospace-supplier base. The Port of Charleston has expanded steadily and supports a logistics middle class. Tourism is the other big middle-class engine: Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Hilton Head pull in retiree households and seasonal hospitality workers, with very different income profiles from each other. Outside those metros, the picture changes. The Pee Dee region around Florence and Marlboro County still runs largely on tobacco, soybeans, and small manufacturing, with median household incomes well below the state level. The state's military base economy - Fort Jackson in Columbia, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Joint Base Charleston - adds another layer of stable middle-income employment.
Compare South states
Frequently asked questions
What income is considered middle class in South Carolina in 2026?
In South Carolina, a household is considered middle class if it earns roughly $48,500 to $144,800 per year, using the Pew Research definition (two-thirds to double the state median household income of $72,400).
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 $72,400 a middle-class income in South Carolina?
Yes. $72,400 is the ACS 2024 median household income for South Carolina, so it sits at the center of this page's $48,500 to $144,800 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.