I grew up in an upper middle class household, and the vast majority of my cohort in high school were also upper middle class, judging by the professions of their parents and the nature of their homes when I visited for group projects and the like.

Most of the kids took the bus, unless they were old enough to drive themselves.

> The upper middle class made >$160k in 2025

I was figuring upper middle class was around 2x that (250-400k) in desirable areas like the Bay Area/Seattle/NYC. Which after mortgage/rent, car payments, school fees... still isn't private-limo or even stay-at-home-parent money

> I was figuring upper middle class was around 2x that (250-400k) in desirable areas like the Bay Area/Seattle/NYC. Which after mortgage/rent, car payments, school fees... still isn't private-limo or even stay-at-home-parent money

Nobody said anybody is taking a limo, I have no clue where this straw man obsession of yours even came from.

Depending on which part of the country you’re in, 160k absolutely is stay at home money for the (most likely) wife, who would also be picking up the kid(s). Sure, that isn’t upper middle class money in San Francisco or NYC, but it was surely obvious nobody was saying it was in this context lol.

Legit this thing with you and limos is so weird. You realise limos basically don’t even exist anymore except as a gag for high school proms, right?

> Sure, that isn’t upper middle class money in San Francisco or NYC, but it was surely obvious nobody was saying it was in this context lol

The article is written by the COO of a NYC-based wealth management firm, so it very explicitly is the context.

> Nobody said anybody is taking a limo

"limo" in this context is a shorthand for whatever form of 3rd-party individual transport you choose. Taxis, uber black, or the nanny dropping the kids off at school all work out much the same (albeit the old-money NYC folks are absolutely still rolling with their private drivers)

They're still riding the bus, the only difference is their parents have them wait in the car at the end of the driveway for the bus.

Welcome to the rural upper middle class. Bonus points when the bus lets the parent out onto the road ahead of them after loading their kid onboard the bus.