The economic security question has grown progressively more complicated for U.S. families as inflation and rising costs redefine what constitutes comfortable living. Although media reports habitually highlight six-figure incomes and income thresholds for high earners, recently released survey results indicate overwhelming agreement regarding what the majority of Americans actually would define as a comfortable income level.
The sweet spot: $75,000 to $100,000 Is the most aspired-to range
Even as economic pressures rise, the highest percentage of Americans—29%—feel that it is possible to live well on between $75,000 and $100,000 per year in 2025. This GOBankingRates result defies conventional thinking that Americans everywhere want six-figure salaries for modest comfort.
Backing up this middle ground, close to half of the Americans (48%) said they feel they might comfortably live on a $100,000 or lower income in 2025. Another 19% said they might be able to afford well in the range of $50,000 to $75,000, and only 8% thought they could comfortably live on under $50,000.
This practical, real-world solution is supported by an Atticus study, which concluded that Americans need an average of $74,688 per annum to be financially secure—a figure almost identical to the 2022 U.S. median household income of $74,580. That these statistics coincide makes it seem that financial security for the majority of Americans is not extravagance but simply to keep up with current middle-class standards.
The high-income ambitions: Quarter seeks $150,000 or higher
Though most prefer incomes at the moderate level, there is a sizable minority with greater aspirations. Bankrate’s 2025 Financial Freedom Survey reveals that 26% of Americans think they must earn $150,000 or more per year to be financially secure or comfortable. That breaks down into 16% who claim they must earn $200,000 or more annually, and 8% who need $500,000 or more.
The income expectations differ significantly between generations. Gen X believes in the most aggressive high-income expectations, with 35% indicating that they would need $150,000 and more to feel financially comfortable, followed by 26% of millennials and 20% of Gen Z. This could be because there are varied life stages, whereby Gen X has the highest expenditure at this phase on the education of children, upkeep of elderly parents, and saving for retirement.
The reality gap: Actual income vs. Expectations
Expect and reality are still worlds apart. Americans voice these demands for earnings, but median personal earnings stick at around $61,984 in 2025. Median household income is $75,580 as of the latest Census, leaving a gargantuan gap between what individuals earn and what they feel they need.
This chasm has tangible implications for financial well-being. Over half of Americans (56%) admit to needing to make more than they currently make in order to comfortably live. Also, 77% of Americans say they are not fully financially secure, up from 75% in 2024 and 72% in 2023.
The effect of inflation on financial security expectations
The increased income aspirations cannot be divorced from the persistent influence of inflation on the American family. Bankrate studies indicate that inflation has risen about 24% since the start of the pandemic in 2020. What it means is that the $150,000 annual salary that many Americans aspire to earn in 2025 translates to about $120,000 in purchasing power in 2020.
The psychological effect spreads beyond hard figures. As Bankrate Economic Analyst Sarah Foster says, “Getting rich may have once been what many Americans fantasized about, but now, simply living comfortably feels like the new aspiration, as economic challenges make financial stability a rare luxury.”
Over two-thirds of adults say they save less for emergencies due to inflation, and 36% have more credit-card debt than emergency savings—its highest level since 2011. These financial stresses essentially changed Americans’ attitudes toward income adequacy and security.
Regional and demographic differences
Income varies drastically based on one’s location and personal circumstances. In higher cost-of-living states like California, upper middle class is $159,302, while in Mississippi it is $91,841 due to the fact that the median income there is only $52,985.
Parents of dependent children under the age of 18 have greater income requirements, with 35% of them stating that $150,000 or more would give them a sense of security. Black Americans are also stating that they require 65% more than White Americans ($282,000 versus $171,000) to have a sense of financial security.
