Where Is The Middle Class

To define the boundaries between classes one would have to measure lifestyle. Since inflation is always a variable, why not define middle class by the measure of what it was like in the United States after WWII and how that has changed compared to today.

The Cleavers
In the middle class of the baby boom era the nuclear family had one breadwinner and almost always a stay at home mom. The family wasn’t basking in wealth and did have to keep an eye on expenses but could afford to take a vacation every year.

Of course they did save in other ways because pies and cakes came out of the flour bin, not the freezer. Jeans got patches sewn on the knees and if anyone’s name was on the ass it better be Levi or Wrangler.

Christmas time would come and go and the family could afford to entertain and still get the Red Ryder with the compass in the stock and the thing that tells time for the little fella.

There was always plenty of food on the table, steak was seldom but it was a treat every once in a while.

The family couldn’t save a whole lot, however managed to save a little for special occasions or rainy days.

There was a pretty good chance that with a little scrimping and saving when Wally or the Beaver graduated high school he not only could read, find the United State on a globe; could probably name most if not all of the states and capitols and actually the family could put him through college if that’s what he or she wanted.

The middle glass of the 50s & 60s didn’t drive yuppie luxo-mobiles but they were able to replace the family station wagon (antique mini-van) every few years or so before it got to 100k, because that’s when they fell apart.

The middle class could afford to actually plan for retirement and always had the nest egg investment of the house with the mortgage that after years they managed to pay off.

In the 50s such a level would probably take an annual income of about 15,000.00… Just about the cost of their 3-bedroom colonial on a modest 1/4-acre not too far from downtown, probably with good public transportation. These days the above would probably take an income somewhere north of 350,000.00… Just about the cost of a 3-bedroom colonial on a modest 1/4-acre not too far from downtown probably with good public transportation.

Concurrently, lower class would be a family income below 350,000.00 and the poverty level being anything below about 75,000.00.

The upper class of course managed all of the above and more with little concern. They had portfolios that were blue chip and they had enough set aside that any risky investments were just with the extra that they could afford to loose. The Mrs. had hired help, can’t plan parties without it you know. Of course little Johnny had a modest trust fund that would ensure he never had to stand in a soup line no matter how much of the old money he drank and pissed away. The income was probably north of 150,000.00… Just about the cost of their 6 or more bedroom estate home with servant quarters and a dungeon in the basement for when the Mr. and Mrs. put on the leather underwear. Of course set on at least a few acres somewhere near the country club. Today I think that would be about 1 million plus up to about 10 million.

Of course I see an Uber-Class as being anything above 10 million.

So, do I see redistriution of wealth as being the answer? Nope. But let's be realistic when we talk about middle class, especially when it comes to identifying such things as tax rates. These things are certain to become hot topics in the near future.