College Discussion - View Single Post - Are you part of the Gibson-middle class?

mini · 04-20-2008, 09:45 PM

Midmo - The median income for a family of four in New Jersey in 2006 (it could include two parents and two children, or one parent and three children - complete with braces, allergy shots, etc. )was $78k, about five hundred dollars more than the overall median family income. Whether they can afford braces, allergy shots, or a car that works is another issue entirely. (I should note that my own family income is well lower than that, but the cost of my mortgage is barely a multiple of my health club membership, I drive a 1988 Maxima without a heating coil, and the cost of health care for me and my wife over the past 16 months - paid for by my excellent single-payor health plan - is more than my salary for the past 20 years. I am very thankful for what I have, and also thankful I don't live in New Jersey, though my older d. will be.)

Again, it is likely that most of the 25% or so of kids who don't graduate from high school come from this group or below. The majority of kids at or below the median income don't go to college, and a plurality of those who do go to community colleges, often at night.

They have very, very little in common with $200k families. Now mind you, this is NOT the bottom economic group - this is the middle.

Shrinkrap, the census data by state is all posted on-line. (I'm not currently at a computer where I can easily put in links.)

04-20-2008, 09:45 PM	#55
mini Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Olympia, WA Threads: 143 Posts: 7,508	Midmo - The median income for a family of four in New Jersey in 2006 (it could include two parents and two children, or one parent and three children - complete with braces, allergy shots, etc. )was $78k, about five hundred dollars more than the overall median family income. Whether they can afford braces, allergy shots, or a car that works is another issue entirely. (I should note that my own family income is well lower than that, but the cost of my mortgage is barely a multiple of my health club membership, I drive a 1988 Maxima without a heating coil, and the cost of health care for me and my wife over the past 16 months - paid for by my excellent single-payor health plan - is more than my salary for the past 20 years. I am very thankful for what I have, and also thankful I don't live in New Jersey, though my older d. will be.) Again, it is likely that most of the 25% or so of kids who don't graduate from high school come from this group or below. The majority of kids at or below the median income don't go to college, and a plurality of those who do go to community colleges, often at night. They have very, very little in common with $200k families. Now mind you, this is NOT the bottom economic group - this is the middle. Shrinkrap, the census data by state is all posted on-line. (I'm not currently at a computer where I can easily put in links.) Last edited by mini : 04-20-2008 at 10:00 PM.