You're missing the point that middle class is a subjective measure. It's a bit fuzzy. But not that fuzzy. They're arguing its based on affordability markers.

You're missing the point that middle class is a subjective measure. It's a bit fuzzy. But not that fuzzy. They're arguing its based on affordability markers. That's not my reading of what "they" are saying (aside from the fact which posters here, aside from the one a few up from here, that you're referring to is more than a bit unclear). But more to they point -- they're welcome to "argue" that point if they like. But if they do, it doesn't seem to have much to do with the commonly accepted notion of "middle class": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_class https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_class For which "median income" might not be an exact equivalent -- but is good enough, to a first-order approximation. "Median affordability in the most expensive large-scale real estate market in the U.S.", in comparison -- just doesn't make very much sense.