17 Signs a Person is Considered Middle Class
Middle America. Whether you are aspiring to join it, unsure if you are a part of it, or have far surpassed it, we think you will enjoy this entertaining article about this significant part of society.
By: Brad Nakase, Attorney
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Around 60% of the people out there is part of this middle-income group. However, what defines it? While some of these suggestions might be humorous generalizations, we also think it is important to know where you stand. If you are aware of your social class, then you can figure out how to move beyond it, and that is what we hope this video will inspire people to do!
Without further ado, here are 14 Signs a Person is Considered Middle Class.
17) They Drive a Solid Car They Got a Great Deal On
People solidly in the middle class have considered commuting on the local bus or train but prefer the comfort of their own vehicle. Their new car was the first significant purchase of their lives. Buying it was a stretch, but they went for an economical choice and exchanged above-average gas mileage for leather seats.
These people still dream of driving hot little sports cars and being considered “cool,” but they are practical. They know this would not make any sense and that cars are for utility, not fun. Middle-class peoples’ big goals are paying off their houses and passing them on to their children, so their kids can have easier lives. Sadly, research tells us that one-third of millennials will never afford to buy a house.
16) Their Work and Housing Hardly Changes
When we see people who have lived in the same city or town for a long time or have only moved to the city next door, we know they are middle class. If they do not live where they were born, most people will settle down where they attended college or university. After school, they got a solid job, and then they just stayed in that area.
Perhaps other cities appeal to them, but moving seems overwhelming, so they stay put. They spend an hour or more each day going driving to the office, and they work for the state or a large company. Their job is boring but secure. They often have a life partner who is also either from their hometown or college town, who they met through work or school. Middle-class people usually feel stuck visiting the same grocery store and the same five restaurants and love Starbucks and Chipotle. They rent or pay a mortgage on an average-to-nice condo or apartment outside the city and enjoy driving their mid-level car around town yet rarely leave the area.
15) They Are Well-Educated (Sometimes Very Well)
A person who is considered middle class usually has gone through more formal education than those in the upper class. This might seem surprising, but a large part of this social class consists of intellectuals who make decent money in their specialized careers based on their degrees. They are strong workers who follow the rules well, and they are proud of their traditional degrees.
A middle-class person was typically an A-range student who followed the rules and worked hard. This makes them very good employees, as opposed to students who may have earned Bs and Cs but took risks.
The issue we see here is this: traditional jobs suited to the middle class are declining. Also, the number of careers that people now cycle through has more than doubled and is still growing. Therefore, new job seekers and entrepreneurs must be able to rapidly reinvent themselves and always be learning about new and emerging industries. This poses a large problem for the middle class and their tendency to place all eggs firmly in one traditional basket.
14) They Spend Too Much and Save the Wrong Things
When a person is considered middle class, they make an average amount of money. But it is what they do with it that is interesting. When middle-class person begins making money, they start purchasing stuff they think is cool. Years later, that stuff piles up in their garages, unused. These people are afraid to donate the stuff to a good cause or throw it away, so it stacks up.
In the same way, their clothes last years and they never throw them away. Maybe, they even have a drawer stuffed with grocery bags that they forget about and never use. Free mugs and pint glasses from various companies fill their cupboards and are then stacked in the basement. Basically, assorted stuff of little or no real value fills their houses. Can you relate to this? Then you might fit squarely in the middle!
13) They Spend More on Gadgets Than They Should
Middle-class people pay out of pocket for entertainment by the month, and this keeps them happy and placated. From new software to games to channels, news and music, they pay for things they think they need but really do not.
They own laptops and desktops, and new iPhones, but they often struggle to use all of the features. They equate all of this tech with a superior status, but really it is just costing them money and mostly allowing them to waste time. However, they are not careful with their passwords and online information, and middle-class people are often victims of online identity theft.
12) They Relax with the TV Every Night
People who are middle class cannot go without their TV. They love binging the newest Netflix shows one after another, and they can’t miss their favorite pro sports teams or reality shows.
In addition to Netflix and Hulu and Apple, they pay for a Spotify subscription and maybe even Apple music. As a matter of fact, a middle-class person will often forget how many subscription bills they are paying each month. They don’t really care: their account is still in the positive by month’s end, and who keeps track of automatic billing? They also share their passwords with friends and family to help them out.
11) They Parent Too Safely
The parenting styles of middle-class families cannot be easily generalized, but they tend to emphasize low-risk behavior and safety. A middle-class parent will usually emphasize education because they believe it worked for them. They want their children to succeed, and they have a very distinct and traditional view of success, so very early, they invest in college and talk to their kids about attending.
The difference between the middle class and upper-class parents is that middle-class parents are rarely supportive of entrepreneurial endeavors or risky, creative choices. They believe in their particular lifestyle, think they are fulfilled, and do not want their children wasting valuable time or living with them when they cannot afford it.
10) They Love Consuming Content and Buying Top Brands
One of the most popular pastimes for this middle-of-the-road social class is consuming meaningless content. This creates false images of success. A middle-class person enjoys tabloids and reality TV shows. They provide a chance to follow celebrities and get a glance at the upper-class lifestyle.
Even when they cannot afford it, these people buy wholeheartedly into the appeal of luxury brands and spend big on Gucci, Balenciaga, and Michael Kors. The issue here is that these middle-class spenders show up to Starbucks for their double latte with soy, all looking exactly the same!
9) They Are Obsessed with the Upper Class
A person who is firmly planted in the middle is fascinated with rich people: their lifestyles, their stories, even their cars. An individual from middle America honestly believes that he or she can become part of the upper class if they put in the work. Therefore, those in the middle-income group are optimists. If you are curious, the lower class are usually more pessimistic, and the rich set is realists.
Maybe, those in the middle should be studying the rich to learn from their decisions, successes, and failures. But too often, they see them just as entertainment and keep on binging Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
8) They Travel Carefully and Strategically
Traveling is a top interest of these middle earners, but people do it with careful planning and attention to detail. They begin their research early, compare stop-overs and prices, and cover their flights with points. And forget about first-class or drinking and eating on the plane. However, they secretly wish they could fly first class and keep their eyes peeled for deals and low-cost destinations.
As for hotels, they choose three stars or 4, and it’s the same deal with the resorts they choose. They eat at the affordable places nearby the hotel and probably do not order expensive wine, even though they are on vacation. Two vacation escapes per year suffice for the middle class, and they are more than satisfied with that.
On the bright side, these middle earners grow very excited when they visit new countries and strive to learn about the new cultures. The rich are always isolated when they travel and rarely experience the true zeitgeist of the place.
7) They Buy Stuff They Do Not Need
From top to bottom, all brands love the class in the center because they know they have the money to buy things they do not need. This all comes down to marketing on TV and increasingly on social media. From new knives to sunglasses to shake weights, the middle-class laps up the trends and the gimmicks. They think they need more stuff, but in reality, they spend too much on cheap junk.
As targets of many ads and brand strategies, middle America needs to use its intellectual prowess to understand how they are being taken advantage of. Maybe this video will help!
6) However, They Still Consider Themselves Successful
We know this seems to conflict with the last point, but middle America is full of complex people. They do consider themselves to be successful, and here are the grounds for that: they cover their monthly bills, they have health insurance, and they have money leftover by month’s end.
People from the middle class noticed that they could not afford many things growing up. They are grateful to their parents for the sacrifices they made and for helping them get to college. The middle class might not love their jobs, but they are grateful for them.
Because of this, a person from the middle class is against switching careers suddenly and simply starting fresh. They have too much invested in their offices, and they like their co-workers and morning routine. Even though they think their boss is a moron, they will never attempt to prove that they are smarter and more talented.
They would be happy with a raise and a promotion, but they do not want to commit more hours to their careers. If they quit work to start a daring new venture, they would lose everything in a few months. That is a harsh reality that they simply cannot face.
5) They Think They Are Poorer Than They Are
When asked, many middle-class people will describe themselves as poor. This is because they look to the upper class for reference, not the lower.
This belief is also caused by the fact that most middle-class people grew up with their parents stressed out about their finances. A person from the middle class is focused on what they do not have, not what they do. The middle class, then, struggles with something many of us do: perspective.
4) They Can’t Wait for Retirement
For the middle class, retirement is the ultimate goal. They envision themselves on a tropical island drinking pina coladas living the good life. However, they also know that there are many years to grind through before that happens.
So what do they do? They buy lottery tickets and bet on sports, spending money to make money. The problem is that they never win.
Another problem is that they haven’t done the research and do not know how their retirement will work. They blindly hope that their 401Ks and savings will support their plans, but many will find out that they end up on a no-name beach in Florida drinking Miller Lite with an umbrella in it.
3) They Have Two Sets of Everything, But Can’t Tell You Why
Middle-class people have two of everything. First, they have the everyday stuff; then, they have the stuff they present to guests. This applies to everything from dishware to clothing. Does this sound familiar?
A middle-class person does this to maintain appearances but also to keep their prized possessions in good shape, so they last as long as possible.
What does this mean? Plastic on furniture, covers on gadgets, original boxes of stuff kept hidden in the closet just in case. The middle class tends to love prints and reproductions of fancy paintings and cover their houses with knick-knacks that some corporations designed with the “middle-class identity” in mind.
2) They Live by Religion, Politics, and Patriotism
Statistically, the middle class is the most religious when compared to those under them and those above.
Why? They feel the need to continue the traditions of their families and become a part of the community. Some also believe in or wonder about life after death.
These people are divided by political ideology, but whatever they believe in is firmly rooted and unchanging. Many of their beliefs were passed down, and to switch parties would be a betrayal to their parents.
Although they might question some state or federal policies, they are quick to tell you which rules have benefitted them. That is why they continue to vote in the same manner, because they do not want to lose these benefits.
The middle-class cares about the United States, its military, and the sanctity of the flag. Their learned version of history was edited to portray the US as eternally good, and they will defend their homeland no matter what.
1) They Live and Die for Sports
The middle class loves sports because their family loves sports. They root for the teams that bring them closer to their fathers or sisters, and they will never stop. They grew up with the home team, and even though that team isn’t great, they wear their hats and jerseys and scream at the TV until they are hoarse.
They do not totally get golf but instead enjoy high-octane sports like football and hockey. They might also tell you that they came close to being a professional athlete, if not for that ankle injury in the 10th grade. But this isn’t completely true.
So, they spend a lot of money on tickets and cable tv packages, sometimes some sports betting, and they would absolutely fist-fight an opposing fan at the game if it came to that. So, if you also love attending games, be careful!
That’s It!
That is the end of our middle-class master class. What do you think? Do you agree, disagree, or have a middle-class experience to share? Please tell us via the comments. Are you a part of the middle class, and do you want to advance? Or are you firmly in the upper class and wondering what else you can aspire to?
In any case, we hope you enjoyed the video. Continue to stay focused and motivated and keep your eyes on your goals. Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot accomplish what you’ve set out to do.
We have reached the end of our list! We hope you enjoyed it, learned something, and didn’t take it too seriously. Thank you for reading!