How much must you earn in KY to be middle class? New report gives income range
Kentucky residents need to make more money now to be considered in the “middle class” compared to 2022, according to a new report.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports Kentucky has a median household income of $62,417, though some of the commonwealth’s counties have much lower median incomes.
A March 17 report from finance website GoBankingRates found the minimum household income required to be considered middle class increased by $1,489 in Kentucky from 2022 to 2025.
The report defines “middle class” as an annual household income two-thirds to double the median income and outlined those 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 some 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 Kentucky?
A Kentucky household needed to make $40,122 in 2022 to be considered middle class, but that number has increased to $41,611 as of 2025, according to GoBankingRates. In 2012, the state’s minimum middle class income was $28,407.
Mississippi has the lowest income needed to be considered middle class in the U.S., while Maryland has the highest.
GoBankingRates reports Kentucky incomes from $41,611 to $124,834 are middle class, and the “upper-middle” class starts at $97,093.
A recent report from finance website SmartAsset named Magoffin, Lee and Owsley counties among the poorest in Kentucky, with median incomes ranging from $31,682 to $32,844.
The commonwealth’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 Lexington. The tipped minimum cash wage in the commonwealth is $2.13 an hour.
A Kentucky resident would need to work 116 hours per week at the minimum wage to afford a typically priced, two-bedroom rental home, the National Low Income Housing Coalition reports.
Fayette County has a median household income of $67,631, according to the Census Bureau, and 15.7% of the county’s residents live in poverty.
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This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
