What Is Middle Class in Ditmas Park?

We know that almost everything in New York City is an extreme, from movie tickets to housing prices. So do the extremes also extend to what we call the “middle class,” as compared to the rest of America? The New York Times recently took a look at what middle class means in Manhattan:

“My niece just bought a home in Atlanta for $85,000,” she said. “I almost spend that on rent and utilities in a year. To them, making $250,000 a year is wealthy. To us, it’s maybe the upper edge of middle class.”

“It’s horrifying,” she added.

The cost of living in Brooklyn can be less than Manhattan, so we wonder: What is “middle class” in Ditmas Park?

If you take a look at 2010 census info on median income in our area, the median income is around $50,000. Is income all that determines the class, or is it also based on the type of job you have – can once solidly middle-class professions like firefighters and police officers still consider themselves in the middle class if they live in our area?

And what about renting compared to owning? Is the dream of home ownership out of reach for the middle class here, or do you consider someone who owns to be in the middle class?

What do you think it takes to be in the middle class in our neighborhood?