Six-Figure Salaries Only Lower Middle Class in Some Major US Cities Due to High Costs

A $100k salary only qualifies as "lower middle class" in 15 major US cities where cost of living is very high
In Arlington, VA you need to earn $150k+ to be considered fully middle class
San Francisco, CA and San Jose, CA also require $150k+ salaries to reach middle class status
High housing prices, driven by $1M+ median home costs in cities like San Francisco, are a major contributor to ballooning living expenses
Even with inflation slowing nationally, prices for necessities like groceries continue to squeeze household budgets across the country