[mikestew]

$200-500k in the SF bay area is still considered middle class because housing prices have gotten so ridiculously high.

No, that means the middle class can't afford to live in SF. This isn't the first time I've heard this, and I don't know why anyone might think this. As a more extreme example, "middle-class in Pebble Beach is $1MM/year or $20MM net worth". No, there is no middle-class in Pebble Beach, only rich people live there.

[Sohcahtoa82]

I know I'm moving the goalposts here, but the houses in Pebble Beach aren't exactly middle-class houses, and not because of the price. A 4-bedroom, 7-bath, 5000 sqft house just isn't a middle-class home.

It's why I try to define "middle-class" by specific behaviors and possessions, not by dollar amounts.