Persistent economic headwinds from 2022 continue to financially challenge many American households in 2023.

The term "middle class" is a term revered by politicians as the purported backbone of America, a group of people identified as not poor nor considered rich. In fact, many Americans despite their income believe themselves to be part of the group, with some studies suggesting it provides them an affirmative sense of personal and national identity.

It's a term that has been used for years to describe a place where Americans feel secure, but laden with fear they may fall out and into a lower class or feel pressure to extend beyond into an upper class.

But who actually falls into the middle class in New Jersey, and how much does someone living in one of the most expensive states really have to earn to fall into a group that so many seemingly aspire to be in?

What is considered middle class in the U.S.?

In broader terms, the middle class is a socioeconomic group that falls between working class and upper class, describing people who have enough disposable income to afford dining out and vacations, but also rely on loans for their homes, cars and college costs, according to Investopedia.

Many researchers and data analysts determine the middle class as those with an annual income of two-thirds to double the median income in a specific area.

Using that calculation, middle-class households in the nation are defined as those with annual incomes between $56,600 and $169,800, according to Pew Research Center. About half, or 52% of American households, lived in middle-income households in 2022, recent data shows.

What is considered middle income in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, falling into that middle-class range, as broad as it is, starts at a slightly higher number. The 2022 middle-class income range in the Garden State was between $64,751 and $194,252, according to GoBankingRates, using data compiled in November from the U.S. Census Bureau. It is a stark 36% difference from a decade prior, where being considered part of the middle-class began with an income of $47,758 and extended to $143,274, the data shows.

In 2012 in the nation, a household income of $35,364 qualified you as a member of the middle class, with the cap at $106,092.

What is the median, mean household income in New Jersey?

When determining who falls into the middle class, you first need to look at the big picture and collect incomes across all residents.

Across the Garden State, with a population of over 3.5 million, the median household income in 2023 was $99,781 -- second highest behind Massachusetts and the third highest including Washington, D.C., according to the latest U.S. Census data released in September. The agency determines median by the central point in which the income of each household member is arranged in order from high to low.

New Jersey's median income was a 28% increase from the nation's, which was $77,719 in 2023, according to the data, which is adjusted for inflation.

Household incomes by North Jersey counties

The U.S. Census Bureau collected information through the American Community Survey, a yearly mailing that residents fill out to provide the agency with social, economic, housing and demographic information. Here is the data for North Jersey counties, breaking down income numbers.

Residents in North Jersey counties that are considered middle-income

County-by-county data does not provide specific income numbers, so numbers listed below are rough estimates based on a broad income range. Remember, the middle-class income range in New Jersey is between $64,751 and $194,252, so estimates are used for those reporting incomes between $50,000 to $199,999. There will be margins of error.