How much do you need to earn to be middle class in Centre County? See the range
Much hay has been made about the country’s shrinking middle class, but what exactly defines the middle class depends on where you live.
The Pew Research Center’s oft-cited definition the middle class at the national level is a range. The bottom equals two-thirds of a given area’s median household income, and the top of the range is double the median income. Pew adjusts for the cost of living at the local level.
Here’s what that looks like in Centre County, using numbers in the 2024 American Community Survey, released in January by the U.S. Census Bureau. Note we did not adjust for the cost of living.
The wealth of an area can drastically change the meaning of middle income. In Halfmoon Township, which has the most concentrated wealth in Centre County, it would take a household income of $81,000 to be considered middle income.
State College is on the opposite end of the spectrum, perhaps lending to an outsize population of low- to no-income students. State College’s cost of living, however, is among the highest in the county. Median monthly housing costs there, according to the American Community Survey, are almost $1,300 per month.
Philipsburg has the least wealthy population after State College, with a middle class range between $50,488 and $151,464, without adjusting for cost of living. But with housing costs almost half that of State College, a middle-class person would likely be less burdened by bills.
The definition of the middle class changes with median household income over time.
Centre County’s overall median household income rose 23% from 2019, exactly on pace with inflation. Benner Township’s median household income increased the most among the municipalities at 65%. Most Centre County municipalities were in the 10 to 40% range.
A handful of low-population municipalities — Port Matilda and Burnside, and Potter and Marion townships — saw their median household income decrease, likely lowering the floor for middle-class status. The low population of the municipalities increases the likelihood of statistical error, however.
