Why do Democrats think $250,000 is middle class?


Both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have tax plans that extend the "middle class" classification up to those earning $250,000 a year — a number that some experts say is arbitrary and false.
According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics reported by CNN Money, those with incomes of $250,000 a year are among the nation's top earners, with households making $206,600 considered within the top 5 percent in 2014. A truly "middle class" American family makes more like $53,700 a year; Pew Research Center defines the middle class as those making two-thirds to two times the median income for one's household size, meaning a truly middle-class family of three would earn between $42,000 and $126,000 a year.
Sanders and Clinton aren't the first to have such a generous definition of the "middle," however. Former President Bill Clinton also campaigned with the number $250,000 in 1992, according to the chief economist of Tax Analysts Martin Sullivan; Clinton's top tax bracket applied to those making over $250,000. Obama also used this earning as a threshold to define "wealthy" and "middle class."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sullivan blamed the disconnect between politicians and "true" middle class income on the fact that decision makers in Washington are surrounded by people with above-average salaries. "$250,000 has become enshrined, but it's not based on an economic study. It's a number people have become comfortable with," he said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Disney is still shielding Americans from an episode of 'Bluey'
Talking Points The US culture war collides with its lucrative children's show
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs