WASHINGTON — In a recent speech, President Barack Obama referred to the “middle class” 14 times, defining it as a family that makes up to $250,000 a year. Republican challenger Mitt Romney has looked ...

Social scientists use 3 common methods to define class—by occupation, income, or education—and there is really no consensus about the “right” way to do it. Michael Zweig, a leading scholar in ...

When you ask Americans whether they’re middle class, most will say yes. In fact, according to a Pew Research survey, only 10% of Americans identify as lower class, and just 1% identify as upper class.

How do some people achieve upper-middle class status by their mid-50s? Learn what it might take to be defined as part of that ...

Who makes up the middle class? Surveys suggest that half to 90 percent of Americans consider themselves members of the economic middle class. These respondents may have annual gross earnings of ...