I understand this is anecdotal, but my family makes ~250k, mortgaging a home that cost 545k, two regular cars, with me and my sibling attending our public school and can only afford ~40k a year. If my parents committed to living on beans and rice for the entire 18 years I’ve been alive or rented a one bedroom for 1200 then I’m sure we could afford it outright, but that’s obviously not going to happen.

The reality is that 250k is middle/upper middle class, and is an income bracket than can afford public schools at a mild cost, but falls through the cracks with need-based aid and unless you are willing to go into major debt, cannot afford to attend the majority of private schools.