Is this a (financially) middle class household these days or not?

Sounds like showing off

Hahah, 'Council house' as opposed to 'ex council house'! As in actually renting from the local authority. I wanted to add on something about an actual working class culture but it's too late at night/early in the morning for that.

@OlPennyRadford

Council house, you think?

Were Thatcher's efforts in vain?

Absolutely flabbergasted at so many people saying a £1000 pm mortgage is a lot. Not hating, good for you! Current first time buyers may have something to say about it though!

Upper class - Trust Funds, Offshore, upper 6 figure salaries
Upper middle class - OP
Lower middle class - Renting long term except the top 20% of earners
Working class - Council house, minimum wage jobs (probably different for previous generations)

Then you’re being silly. People would cut off their right arm to have a mortgage that low.

I work for my money. Sod all to do with class. You being judged by others just makes them judgemental and thinking they are better than you. They aren’t

Agree it shouldn’t matter - class is a social construct to help some people feel superior to others.

However, there’s still a lot of class prejudice. Over the years, I’ve had shocking assumptions made about me, and things said to me, because I’ve been judged as working class by people who’ve perceived themselves as middle class.

So, like other discrimination, we shouldn’t pretend classism doesn’t exist, or doesn’t matter, just because we think it shouldn’t happen. And it helps to measure it to identify and address discrimination.

However, it’s difficult to define and not usually based on income or wealth. Even wealthy working class people still face prejudice. A typical definition is whether your parents went to university. But that’s imperfect, e.g. it became easier for working class people to access higher education from 1960s and higher educated people can still be judged as ‘working class’.

OP: your income appears to be in a high decile. But, as others have said, it’s not only income after taxes (including council tax) but after essential expenditure (housing costs, energy costs, food etc.). People on high incomes who have to pay high private rents, high energy bills, care costs etc have much less disposable income than people on much lower incomes with inherited wealth/mortgage-free.

Also depends on how many people are in the household and whether they’re earners or non-earners. That’s why even above-average-earning lone parents can struggle to afford essentials, like rent, energy and food.

Does it matter? Once upon a time the ridiculous class system was based on occupation, so you could be in debt up to your eyeballs but you’re a solicitor which was middle class. Now it appears it’s based on income but you could be renting and not even have your own home. It’s all total bollox! It’s called a snob system in my eyes.

I've checked the thread but cannot see it explained. Please can someone share examples of middle class hobbies? I'm fascinated and what to check if I already indulge in any.

Is that £3.5k each or total joint earnings?

Money doesn't buy class.
I think you've proved the point beautifully!

I'm a widow, my mortgage is more than 2x that much. Why do you think £1k is a big mortgage?

In any case, there is no middle class or working class the terms are elitist twaddle and we should expunge them from our language.

Middle income is the right term and yes I would say with £4k pcm left after paying housing costs, that is a middle income.

Wow. Yes, that's middle class and a huge anoubt of income per month.

Here's middle income.

It says nothing about class.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/householddisposableincomeandinequality/financialyearending2024/pdf

It is much higher than middle income.

I don't know your class.

Do you put your butter knife in the marmalade?

I’m not sure why you would be debating that with a friend or have a problem with being described as middle class. Your mortgage payment is pretty reasonable for the size of house you have and you have a good amount of money left over after paying it and lots of equity in your home. Lots of people earn less and have a bigger mortgage on a single salary.

My take was always that being middle class is not really about money -it's about aspiration, do their DC go to private schools, would they like them to- that kind of thing. You can be swimming in money and still have no aspirations.

Mine’s £900 and my income is half of yours.

Don’t want to derail the thread but the amount that people are paying for their mortgage each month is quite frightening. I was lucky

i bought late but still at a peak. My wage is def financially middle class although I really don’t believe that’s a thing. I'm working class with money

I don’t believe going from council estate to having a mortgage makes you middle class as PP has said

It all depends on the area of the country in which you happen to live.

Class is not just about money.There's more to it than that.I am middle class, from a middle class background, but my income would suggest otherwise.

Good lord! You are a bit naive. I pay almost £2k. But I’m getting a huge chunk of an historic house for that.

£1000 a month is not a huge mortgage! Even if you rent a 4 bed you won’t get it for that price. We pay £2100 in a 5 bed monthly. The income seems ok, but depending on age of DC and whether nursery is involved there might not be as much disposable income as you think!

It really isn't. Mines £3200

What “class” exactly do you think 3k a month surplus is? I can’t tell if this is a massive stealth brag or someone completed deluded who is desperately hoping we can brand them upper class?