When you spend the entirety of your life in the middle-class, it’s harder to notice when you’ve slipped into the upper echelon of society. The upper middle-class is characterized by more money and fewer worries, and here are 18 signs that show that you’re already in it.
Earning Over $94,000 Annually
The upper middle-class constitutes the top 75th to 90th percentile of Americans in income. According to the US Census Bureau, this puts their earnings between $94,000 and $256,000. If you’re now earning between these figures, you’re only one step from being in the top 5%.
Owning a Home
Owning a home is part of the American dream, and merely getting a mortgage on one places you in the middle-class. However, you’re in the upper middle-class if you’ve paid for your home in full and don’t have to worry about monthly mortgage bills anymore.
Having Multiple Sources of Income
Working two jobs and stacking up 60 to 70 hours per week doesn’t qualify as multiple income sources, as we describe it for the upper-middle-class. Instead, you’ll have multiple livable incomes coming actively from your job or business and passively from investments like real estate and stocks.
Managing an Investment Portfolio
Managing a diverse investment portfolio is another classic sign of being upper-middle-class. You don’t just have enough money to invest in stocks; you have enough to put into high-ticket and riskier ventures like real estate and even cryptocurrencies, and you’re never deterred by losses or fees.
Retiring Early
In the upper middle-class, you don’t just make enough cash to save for a comfortable retirement; you can retire earlier than the expected age range of 65 to 67. Thanks to multiple passive incomes, you have enough savings to live comfortably or even thrive, sometimes as early as 40!
You’re Worth Over $800,000
Perhaps you don’t consistently earn six figures annually, but if your assets are worth over $803,000, CNN claims you’re still among the upper middle-class. The rest of the middle-class is only worth a quarter of this ($204,000), while the lower class is worth only $24,000.
Paying For College Tuition is Easy
It’s a sad fact that rich people can afford better college tuition than the lower class. However, many in the lower middle-class still need financial aid to lighten the burden. Meanwhile, if you’re in the upper middle-class, paying huge fees for multiple children probably doesn’t even phase you.
Driving a $70,000+ Car
The majority of people you’d know in the middle-class have new cars worth about $35,000 or go for used cars worth less than $20,000. However, if you’re looking for a change and that $70,000 car doesn’t look bad for your finances, this is a clear sign that you’ve reached the upper middle-class.
Unexpected Bills Don’t Bother You
Unexpected expenses worth a month’s wage is far too much to bear for many in the middle-class, at least without going into debt. Meanwhile, in the upper middle-class, you don’t just have enough savings to pay bills on time; you’d settle for a $1,500 car engine repair without batting an eyelid.
Living in a Sublime Neighborhood
Another sign that you’re in the upper middle-class is that you live somewhere other middle-class individuals could only wish for. These are usually suburban neighborhoods with lower crime rates and more expensive houses than other places many others live in.
You Vacation Overseas
The middle-class has enough money to go on vacations, but they’re usually limited to travel within the Americas. If you can take a trip to London or Paris every year without struggling, a survey by Newsweek says this is a luxury that puts you in one of the upper classes.
Exclusive Memberships
As an upper middle-class person, you may not have $26,000 to spend on an Equinox gym membership every year, but you won’t settle for a $500 membership elsewhere. You have enough disposable income for the higher-end membership plans that many around you see as a waste of money.
Relying on Home Services
Middle-class families may occasionally pay cleaners or gardeners to do some work in their homes. This may have been you once, but these days, you have them on standby or coming into your property every other day, so much so that they’ve turned into an essential recurring cost.
Eating at Luxury Restaurants
While many middle-class individuals have to save for a few weeks to afford dining at Michelin-starred restaurants, you’ve made them your weekly or biweekly de-stressors. You aren’t feeling the pinch of rising costs, and you always prefer fine dining to fast food meals.
Buying Expensive Furniture
There was a time when you furnished your whole home with $5,000 and felt light in your pockets right after. Now, bespoke, high-quality pieces catch your fancy, and you don’t mind spending over $5,000 on a single couch. Mass-produced art, furniture, and decor don’t have a place in your home anymore.
Medical Expenses Are Affordable
CNN states that the middle-class find it the hardest to keep up with medical expenses, having even more medical debt than the lower class. In the upper middle-class, healthcare may still be expensive for you, but, unlike others, you never have to worry about insurance payments or unexpected medical costs.
Your Hobbies Are Expensive
Those walks in the parks or movies don’t seem to cut it anymore when it comes to killing boredom. You’ve found joy in more expensive activities like yachting, collecting art, collecting cars, golfing, and horse racing. Rather than read a book, you now prefer to spend money collecting rare books instead.
You Have a Luxury Wardrobe
Finally, as a member of the upper middle-class, you’ve moved on from the fast fashion many around you still love and feed into. You now prefer wearing higher-quality, designer clothing that costs hundreds of dollars apiece. You probably don’t wear obviously branded clothing either, as you have nothing to prove.
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