People always say everyone on MN is middle class, but are we?! I honestly think it’s a pretty socioeconomically diverse mix.
What class would you say you are? Curious how people map themselves when you take both background and current life into account.
These are the rough descriptions I’m working from (from Reddit - I didn’t write them, so please don’t come for me 🤣). Heritage first, income last.
Upper class
Old families, land, inherited wealth, public schools, Oxbridge, connections that run through generations. Sparse vowels, quiet confidence, and a sense that everything important happens in drawing rooms you will never see.
Typical household income: irrelevant, wealth is inherited.
Likelihood of two parent families: very high.
Age at first child: early thirties.
Upper middle class
Professionals with long-standing pedigree. Parents and grandparents were doctors, civil servants, academics, barristers, consultants, senior military. Private or grammar schooling, strong cultural capital, instinctive ease in elite spaces. This is the group most people mean when they say “middle class”.
Typical household income: often £150k plus.
Likelihood of two parent families: high. Age at first child: early to mid thirties.
Middle class
Educated, comfortable, but not posh. Teachers, mid-level civil servants, senior nurses, managers, small business owners. Cultural capital is mixed. Grandparents may have been skilled workers. Big on gardens, National Trust, and well-behaved children.
Typical household income: around £90k to £150k.
Likelihood of two parent families: moderate to high.
Age at first child: late twenties to early thirties.
Lower middle class
Clerical, admin, retail management, entry-level professional families. Polite, aspirational, very aware of class boundaries. Parents or grandparents often from working class backgrounds. Transitional rather than settled.
Typical household income: around £60k to £90k.
Likelihood of two parent families: mixed.
Age at first child: mid to late twenties.
Working class
Manual trades, industrial work, care work, service work. Strong community identity, distinctive humour, bluntness valued over polish. Heritage is key. You can earn millions and remain working class because class is about where you come from, not what you now earn.
Typical household income: usually under £60k, though can be higher.
Likelihood of two parent families: lower than middle groups.
Age at first child: late teens to mid twenties.
Precariat
Insecure work, unstable housing, gig economy. Identity varies, but the instability itself defines the experience.
Typical household income: under £25k.
Likelihood of two parent families: low.
Age at first child: late teens to mid twenties.
I’m solidly working class. Also, if discussions about class make you cross, this is probably not the thread for you.