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

[Yealp]

I don’t think so, my best friend thinks it’s completely middle class.

Income after tax per month 5,200
Household one adult and one dc
Mortgage payment 1k a month, equity 350k (4 bed detached)

You could also be a part-time University lecturer and working class or a middle class plumber. I know both.

Wow we would LOVE a 1k mortgage , that’s so low!!

it is an extremely comfortable income.

Is it!

Jesus how are people surviving out there! And we live somewhere cheap.

No, once you have a degree and/or a profession you move sociological categories and ‘become’ middle class. Ie you may have been born working class but you are no longer so.

But yes, a middle class person can choose to become a plumber - many of the investment bankers I worked with, once they had enough money to pay off their mortgages and invest in savings, became plumbers and carpenters. They remain middle class because they had degrees/a university and professional education. They are simply middle class people pursuing a trade.

Definitely working class for having child at 16..

Unless you're middle-class and have a child at 16.

I don't know how you grade social class?

Isn't it more to do with education level or career? Or just about how much money you have in the bank? Who your parents are and what property they own?

Does it matter?

I mean my parents both went to uni, dad had a high paid job, (long deceased) some of my family are multimillionaires, (no siblings) but I left school at 16 and I'm a benefits claimants who's previous career was office admin. Haven't a penny to my name.

I've never felt the need to consider which social class I belonged to. It's not like it helps; labelling yourself.

Don't understand the bit about the mortgage, is the cost or the fact of having one? I live in a bad area and the average rent for a tiny terraced house round here is close to a grand, I don't understand how having a mortgage makes someone middle class, surely it is about earning enough to save for a deposit

I would dare you to tell my proud working class friend he was no longer working class just because he lectures at a university. He'd probably write you a thesis discussing it.

(Also, being a part-time University lecturer no longer equates to having a profession.)

I grew up on a council estate (rented) and believed the idea of owning a home or paying off a home would make me middle class. I still kinda believe it, that's not to say people aren't cash poor but if you have two cars, paying off a mortgage you're doing pretty well. You have assets. Growing up without a car, a rented house, electric off half the time and eating spam for the third day that week adjusted my world view.

The last 100 years was an exception, I think there will be more living to survive as we revert to the mean (unfortunately)

Absolutely.

My dc will never be able to confidently say whether they’re middle or working class online, such a shame. A 16 year old mum with a rubbish job but a professional dad with multiple degrees. No online essays about the typical working or middle class childhood for dc

Yes comfortable!

Really? What's a "middle class mortgage" then?

Reason I ask is when we bought our first house (2.5bed 30s semi, starter home, £155k) our mortgage was £890. So £1k really doesn't seem high.

I pay £1k a month on my rent, as does my son. (Me, no deposit, him, does not want to buy as yet)

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?

It really isn't. Mines £3200

£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!

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

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.

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

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

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

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.