You need this income in 2026 to be considered middle class in Texas, study says
A new 2026 study from financial advice technology company, SmartAsset, says you need to make at least $53,147 to be considered middle class in Texas.
The study uses Pew Research’s definition of middle class, which includes those who earn at least two-thirds to double of the U.S.’s median household income. In 2022, U.S. incomes ranging from about $56,600 to $169,800 were considered to be middle class.
In Smart Asset’s 2026 study, Texas ranked right in the middle at No. 24 (meaning, Texas has the 24th-highest middle class income range in the country).
To calculate its findings, Smart Asset used Pew Research’s definition of middle class as well as the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 one-year American Community Survey data to determine the middle class income in all 50 states and 100 of the largest U.S. cities.
How much do you need to earn to be considered middle class in Texas?
According to SmartAsset’s 2026 study using 2024 Census Bureau data, Texans would need to make between $53,147 to $159,442 to be considered middle class.
The study also says the median household income in Texas is $79,721. Median means midpoint, so half of Texans make under that number and the other half make over that number.
In the 2025 study, Texans had to earn between $50,515 to $151,560.
How much do you need to earn to be considered middle class in Dallas-Fort Worth?
SmartAsset says Fort Worth residents need to make between $55,002 to $165,006 to be considered middle class. The median household income in Fort Worth is $82,503.
Dallas residents need to make less to be considered as middle class. The range is from $49,549 to $148,646, with a median household income of $74,323.
Arlington’s middle class income ranges from $49,592 to $148,776, with a median household income of $74,388.
Two North Texas cities qualify as “high bound” for middle class incomes.
Frisco is ranked as No. 3 in the nation for highest middle class incomes, with a range of $96,963 to $290,888 and a median household income of $145,444.
Then Plano is No. 8, with a middle class income between $77,267 and $231,802. The median household income is $115,901.
What percentage of households in Texas are middle class?
According to the 2023 American Community Survey, roughly half of Texas households, 48 percent to be exact, qualify as middle class.