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Liyao Xie - Moment

The middle class comprises the largest economic group in the country. It’s also a segment that has been increasingly cost-burdened in real estate, often paying more than 30% of their income toward housing.

Its members are in search of affordable housing markets, bolstered by a strong job market—middle-class jobs are growing in most parts of the country.

So which states offer the best potential for the middle class?

SmartAsset, a personal finance website and resource, compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across seven metrics, including the percentage of households in the middle class, median household income adjusted for cost of living, median home values, homeownership rates, and more.

Given these factors, Utah and Idaho topped the list, offering more equitable income distribution and strong homeownership rates for the middle class, according to the study.

The following 10 states benefit the middle class the most by those criteria, according to SmartAsset’s study.

Chart listing cities where middle class can live comfortably
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