The Public's View of WhatIt Takes to Be in the Middle Class Now % saying Americans need to be considered partof the middle class
In recent weeks, President Obama has been on the road citing the need for programs that bolster the middle-class. But having weathered a recession that staggered the economy, a 2012 survey shows Americans have changed their views on what it takes to be part of the middle-class.
Nearly nine-in-ten adults (86%) say a person needs a secure job to be considered part of the middle class, while just 45% say the same about owning a home, 37% about a college education and 28% about financial investments.
Of the five items tested in the survey question, the only other one seen as essential to a middle-class lifestyle by a majority of the public is health insurance—which many Americans receive through their work. Two-thirds of adults say it’s an essential requirement of a middle-class lifestyle.
The Public's View of WhatIt Takes  | to Be in the Middle Class Now  | % saying Americans need to be considered partof  | the middle class  | a secure job  | 86  | Health insurance  | 66  | To own a home  | 45  | a college education  | 37  | Stocks, bonds or other  | 28  | investments  | Note: Based on all adults N=2 .508  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER  | Q9a-e 