With rising cost of living, inflation and tariff costs (along with struggling employment levels), is the middle class still capable of attaining the American dream?
To answer such a question, GOBankingRates united two separate studies — one that determined the middle-class income range in each state and one that determined the cost of the American dream on a state-by-state basis — into a single analysis.
Check Out: GOBankingRates Original Research Center
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The American dream was defined as a married couple with a home and an annual mortgage with a 20% down payment, two children, a car and a pet. Associated costs included utility bills, education, healthcare expenses and the price of child care. All annual costs were then doubled, creating a viable estimate of what a comfortable American dream could cost in each of the 50 states.
Compared against those dream figures for each state were the income ranges for a family of four (two parents, two children). By comparing the data, GOBankingRates discovered that the American dream technically is still attainable by the middle class in every state in the country, but with some caveats. Specifically, in nearly every state, GOBankingRates found that only those on the upper end of the middle-class income range could afford the true costs of the American dream.
The bottom line: The good life is still a possibility in America, but it comes at an ever-increasing cost.
Alabama
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $65,800 to $197,400
- True cost of the American Dream: $111,534
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Alaska
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $85,767 to $257,300
- True cost of the American Dream: $195,120
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Arizona
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $71,989 to $215,966
- True cost of the American Dream: $156,394
Arkansas
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $60,187 to $180,560
- True cost of the American Dream: $111,758
California
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $85,429 to $256,288
- True cost of the American Dream: $209,767
Colorado
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $92,507 to $277,520
- True cost of the American Dream: $180,766
Connecticut
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $102,061 to $306,182
- True cost of the American Dream: $180,799
Delaware
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $84,066 to $252,198
- True cost of the American Dream: $153,910
Florida
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $68,709 to $206,126
- True cost of the American Dream: $143,700
Georgia
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $73,824 to $221,472
- True cost of the American Dream: $134,993
Hawaii
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $89,619 to $268,856
- True cost of the American Dream: $238,680
Idaho
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $70,162 to $210,486
- True cost of the American Dream: $135,607
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Illinois
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $85,427 to $256,280
- True cost of the American Dream: $143,153
Indiana
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $71,703 to $215,110
- True cost of the American Dream: $133,155
Iowa
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,540 to $235,620
- True cost of the American Dream: $118,611
Kansas
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $75,279 to $225,838
- True cost of the American Dream: $115,895
Kentucky
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $67,283 to $201,848
- True cost of the American Dream: $116,613
See More: What Is the Estimated Median Income for the Upper-Middle Class in 2025?
Louisiana
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $65,425 to $196,274
- True cost of the American Dream: $113,783
Maine
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,710 to $236,130
- True cost of the American Dream: $151,734
Maryland
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $102,745 to $308,234
- True cost of the American Dream: $168,005
Massachusetts
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $110,637 to $331,910
- True cost of the American Dream: $217,722
Michigan
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,029 to $234,086
- True cost of the American Dream: $122,509
Also See: Here’s the Line Between Middle Class and Upper-Middle Class in Every State
Minnesota
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $95,999 to $287,996
- True cost of the American Dream: $173,697
Mississippi
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $57,139 to $171,416
- True cost of the American Dream: $104,948
Missouri
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $72,819 to $218,458
- True cost of the American Dream: $129,476
Montana
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $72,051 to $216,154
- True cost of the American Dream: $149,164
Nebraska
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,775 to $236,324
- True cost of the American Dream: $137,818
Read More: Here’s the Minimum Net Worth Considered To Be Middle Class in Your 70s
Nevada
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $67,121 to $201,362
- True cost of the American Dream: $161,922
New Hampshire
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $101,720 to $305,160
- True cost of the American Dream: $170,862
New Jersey
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $106,851 to $320,552
- True cost of the American Dream: $182,445
New Mexico
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $58,531 to $175,592
- True cost of the American Dream: $135,259
New York
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $89,073 to $267,218
- True cost of the American Dream: $170,669
Find Out: What Is the Estimated Median Income for the Upper-Middle Class in 2025?
North Carolina
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $72,922 to $218,766
- True cost of the American Dream: $130,518
North Dakota
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $86,607 to $259,822
- True cost of the American Dream: $132,340
Ohio
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $76,395 to $229,186
- True cost of the American Dream: $145,533
Oklahoma
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $62,625 to $187,874
- True cost of the American Dream: $127,100
Oregon
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $82,018 to $246,054
- True cost of the American Dream: $174,662
Explore More: Here’s the Minimum Net Worth To Be Considered Upper Class in Your 50s
Pennsylvania
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $83,783 to $251,348
- True cost of the American Dream: $138,994
Rhode Island
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $90,283 to $270,848
- True cost of the American Dream: $169,838
South Carolina
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $68,361 to $205,084
- True cost of the American Dream: $132,681
South Dakota
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $74,122 to $222,366
- True cost of the American Dream: $121,181
Tennessee
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $68,490 to $205,470
- True cost of the American Dream: $127,028
See More: The Living Wage a Family of 4 Needs in All 50 States
Texas
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $72,189 to $216,568
- True cost of the American Dream: $129,026
Utah
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $78,445 to $235,334
- True cost of the American Dream: $149,873
Vermont
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $87,769 to $263,308
- True cost of the American Dream: $175,818
Virginia
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $92,778 to $278,334
- True cost of the American Dream: $147,055
Find More: How Much You Need To Earn To Be Upper Middle Class in Every State
Washington
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $92,875 to $278,626
- True cost of the American Dream: $188,264
West Virginia
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $62,931 to $188,792
- True cost of the American Dream: $117,788
Wisconsin
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $82,099 to $246,296
- True cost of the American Dream: $154,655
Wyoming
- 4-person family middle-class income range: $76,558 to $229,674
- True cost of the American Dream: $128,406
Methodology: GOBankingRates found how much the middle class earns in every state by analyzing the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey 5-year data. For this study, GOBankingRates assumed that a middle-class family earns two-thirds to double the median income for a family of its size in its state. In order to find out how much a middle-class family is earning, GOBankingRates multiplied each median income by 0.6666667 for the lower limit and by 2 for the upper limit. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 2, 2025. … The American dream for this study is defined as a married couple who own a home and a car, have two children and a pet. The data was sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index, the Federal Reserve, ASPCA’s Annual Pet Costs, the Economic Policy Institute’s Childcare Costs by State. Using the 50/30/20 financial rule that states needs should not exceed 50% of household income, the total cost of living was doubled to find the income needed to live the American Dream. All data is up to date as of April 17, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Here’s the Salary Needed To Be Middle Class vs. the Salary Needed for the American Dream in Every State
