Community Corner
Here’s How Much You Need To Earn To Be Rich In Baltimore
A new report shows what it takes to be considered above "middle-class" in the Baltimore area.

BALTIMORE, MD — A new report has crunched numbers to determine how much money you need to make to be considered “rich” in Baltimore. Business Insider looked at several factors in 42 of the country's largest cities to determine what income residents need to be considered above-middle-class.
About one in five Americans is considered upper-income, meaning they earned at least twice the national median household income of $59,039 in 2016, according to the Pew Research Center. Business Insider says that overall in the U.S., you’d have to earn $118,080 to be rich.
But that isn’t true for many cities, including Baltimore, where that number is actually higher.
Find out what's happening in Baltimorefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Baltimore
- Money it takes to be considered rich in Baltimore: More than $153,576
- Money it takes to be in the top 1 percent in Maryland: $421,188
- Median income in Baltimore: $76,788
- Metro-area population: 2.8 million
Compared to Memphis, Tennessee, where residents must earn at least $99,618 to be rich, that might seem steep. But at least we’re not San Jose, California.
Find out what's happening in Baltimorefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In San Jose, residents have to earn a whopping $220,080 or more to be considered rich.
Here are some other cities on the list:
New York City
- Income needed to be considered rich: $143,794
- Money it takes to be in the top 1 percent in New York: $517,557
- Median income in New York City: $71,897
- Metro-area population: 20.2 million
Seattle
- Income needed to be considered rich: $157,224
- Money it takes to be in the top 1 percent in Washington: $387,854
- Median income in Seattle: $78,612
- Metro-area population: 3.8 million
San Francisco
- Income needed to be considered rich: $193,354
- Money it takes to be in the top 1 percent in California: $453,772
- Median income in San Francisco: $96,677
- Metro-area population: 4.7 million
Click here to read the full report.
Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.
Image by Elizabeth Janney/Patch.
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