1. "Middle class" does not mean "median income". 2. The relevant meaning for this particular discussion is "in a position to spend $200 on a thermostat but not

1. "Middle class" does not mean "median income". 2. The relevant meaning for this particular discussion is "in a position to spend $200 on a thermostat but not willing to spend thousands". That seems like pretty much exactly the bracket a lot of US software people would be in. (There is a phenomenon in US politics where people earning $300k/year think they are "middle class" and I agree that that's silly. But software developers on ~$100k? Middle class. No question.)