[John29258]

In the United States (probably because of the massive inequality of wealth, although also because there was no formal aristocracy), most people like to minimize class distinctions in talk. Thus, people making ten or a hundred times the income of someone else will both refer to themselves as ‘middle class.’

‘Upper-middle’ class usually picks out people making a lot more (20% to 50%) than they need (in the strict sense of having a large house, car, money for education and a safety buffer for hard times.) In the States, an ‘upper-middle’ class family is probably one that does not receive a break on University tuitions for their children, even when the cost of college hovers between $10,000 and $40,000 a year.

An ‘Upper’ class family may be in the same position, but if anything the distinction has to do with ancestry. A family that has been wealthy for generations and generations may be described (and even self-described) as upper class. Perhaps a good rule of thumb is that an upper class family has as much money as an upper-middle class family, but also has, say, great-grandparents who went to University.

In the United States, ‘upper class’ has a derogatory connotation because of the general cultural ideal of equality; indeed, the people who have enough money to be in this class probably also have enough education and leisure to feel bad about it — hence the popularity of ‘upper-middle’ class as a description.

‘Upper-middle’ class also carries a sense of having earned it. In other words, ‘I have a lot of money, but I came out of the middle class just like you; I’m mostly like you, but I just have more money.’ ‘Upper’ class might rather suggest ‘because of my family’s history of having money, my upbringing – and even the upbringing of my parents and grandparents – is so alien to yours that I really am a separate part of society.’

Because the United States and Australia have similar democratic origins (immigrant, no aristocracy, general committment to legal equality), much of the reasoning in this answer probably holds true. However, the much smaller spread of incomes in Australia might mean that people are less worried about insisting on their ‘middle’ class status when they are clearly not.

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Name : John29258, Gender : M, City : New York City, State : NY, Country : United States, 

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