What is Considered Middle-Class Income in Florida?
Florida is known for its wonderful beaches, diversified people, and energetic cities. However, what exactly does it mean to be middle class in the Sunshine State? Let's examine the features and income ranges of Florida's middle class and how cleaning services fit into this group.
Defining Middle Class Income in Florida
One source says that, by 2023, to live at a middle-class level, a minimum of $67,835 annually would be needed by a family of four in Florida. That equates to about the middle-class equivalent in most incomes within the other states, such as Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Utah.
However, the defined range of income for a person to be considered middle class varies hugely between the cities within Florida. Take for example:
In Jacksonville, middle-class income ranges from $39,276 to $117,242, with the median at $58,621.
The range in St. Petersburg goes from $42,974 to $128,282, with the median at $64,144.
This varies from the least in Orlando, at a figure of $36,292, to the highest at $108,334, with a median of $54,167.
The scale for Miami is $32,689 to $97,578, with a median of $48,789. So, the cleaning service worker in Miami making around $50,000 would solidly be in the middle class.
The Shrinking Middle Class
While middle-class incomes have been growing since 1970, the expansion has been markedly stronger for those at the top. Adults living in middle-class homes made up 50% of the population in 2021 compared to 61% in 1971; adults living in upper-class households made up 21% of the population in 2021.
Indeed, the trend of hollowing out the middle class is indeed very worrying because it very often forms one of the backbones upon which a healthy economy and society are built. Among other things, housing costs have risen substantially, wages have stagnated, and income has increasingly concentrated.
The Impact of Location on Middle-Class Incomes
Where you live in Florida can make a huge difference in what it takes to be middle class. Cities with a higher cost of living—such as Miami—tend to have higher income thresholds for their middle-class income.
A cleaning services Miami worker that earns $50,000 a year may find themselves in the middle class, but that same income could relegate you to the lower-income bracket if you live in a more expensive city such as San Francisco or New York.
This suggests that even if your income were middle-class on an all-Florida basis, it could be difficult to afford leading a decent middle-class life in particular places. For instance, excessive housing costs in an affluent neighborhood would drastically cut a middle-class family's income.
The Role of Cleaning Services in Florida's Middle Class
The cleaning industry supports Florida's middle-class lifestyle and economy. Here are some of the high points:
The cleaning product industry has a total economic impact of approximately $200 billion and supports around 700,000 jobs in the U.S.
In Miami-Dade County, maids and housekeeping cleaners were the most common employment for low- to middle-income households.
The "Other Services" sector in Miami-Dade is a sector largely comprised of small cleaning businesses. This sector also includes the repair of equipment, laundry services, and religious and civic organizations. Firms in this sector with less than 10 people constitute 99.5%.
Middle-class families are able to delegate the chores around the house to Miami cleaning services, which frees up more time for work, family, and leisure. But even at the lower end of the middle class, regular cleaning services would be hard to afford.
For middle-class families in Florida seeking to balance work and life, housecleaners are increasingly a necessity rather than a luxury service. With hectic jobs, long commutes, and family responsibilities, finding time for cleaning is practically difficult.
Hiring professionals to handle cleaning can help reduce stress, and living in a tidy and orderly environment has been linked to increased productivity, decreased anxiety, and improved well-being, according to research.
At the same time, the cleaning industry itself creates many middle-class jobs within Florida. Many small cleaning businesses are operated and owned by people or families trying to become part of the American Dream.
Through their patronage of such local businesses, middle-class Floridians would be instrumental in making jobs and opportunities in their communities. And by paying their employees a living wage and providing benefits, the owners of cleaning services can help additional workers break the middle-class threshold for income.
Challenges for Florida's Middle Class
Within the large middle class within the state of Florida, there remain numerous challenges that could serve as obstacles to any family that is trying to reach or maintain a middle-class existence:
Housing costs in many Florida cities are high relative to incomes. The ratio of median home prices to median income is actually higher in Miami than in New York.
Wages in Florida are quite low in comparison to the national average, especially in service industries such as cleaning.
In recent decades, Florida has seen a sharp rise in economic disparity. Families may find it more challenging to move up the economic ladder and into the middle class if there is a significant wealth gap.
Although not exclusive to Florida, the state with the largest tourism, hotel, and service sectors is most affected by these issues. A coalition of leaders from industry, community organizations, and policymakers will be needed to provide the answers.
Looking Ahead
These middle-class endeavors will be crucial to Florida's long-term prosperity as the state develops and changes. It could take steps to become very visible, such as:
Increasing wages and benefits of the service industry workers, including those in cleaning occupations
Investing in education and workforce development programs that will help more of Florida's workers compete for and obtain higher-wage jobs
Making housing more affordable through policies that expand the supply of moderately-priced homes
Supporting entrepreneurship and small businesses, especially in sectors that employ large numbers of LMI workers, such as cleaning services
Building a strong middle class in Florida means building a more inclusive, resilient economy that works for every single resident. Doing it recognizes the true value of workers, such as cleaners, and enables a state to ensure that the fruits of growth are more broadly shared.
However, being a middle-class person in Florida means more than just reaching financial goals. Affordable housing, good education, well-paying jobs, the capacity to save and be ready for future economic downturns, and a stake in your community with a route to a better life are all part of it.
For too many Floridians, the struggle to get into or remain in the standard of living for the middle class is becoming unbearable. But with the right policies and priorities, Florida can be a state in which the middle class prospers and is within reach for all.