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By definition upper quartile means being in the top 25%. I think most people would understand "middle class" to mean exactly what it sounds like it means: the 50% of people clustered around the middle. I know some wealthy people like to imagine they aren't wealthy because there are always other people around even wealthier than they are, but that doesn't mean they're not wealthy compared to the average.

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But I’m saying “Wealthy” doesn’t mean “being in the top 25%” when you emphasize lifestyle and what options you have.

There is a massive difference between the lifestyle of the (e.g.) top 5-10%, 2%, 1%, and 0.5%. Those numbers are basically jumping from “still has a mortgage” to “has a 80-foot yacht.”

There is almost no difference in lifestyle when you compare the top 50%, 25%, 20%, 15%, maybe even 10%. It’s the same deal: depending on a continuing wage, getting 1-4 weeks of time off every year but no more, needing to use a financial instrument to pay for kids’ college, having a house and probably a car loan. All of those attributes stay the same.

There’s no agreed-upon definition of middle class. If there was going to be, it’s certainly not a mathematical definition like that though, it’s an emotional one.

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