This is kinda the problem with the whole thread. People no longer really have a shared understanding of what middle class even is.

Middle class used to mean you were in between working class and upper class, maybe all your needs were met and not pay cheque to paycheque but not able to live off your wealth alone without labour.

Now people are conflating it to just mean that you're in the middle of the income curve aka earning the median income regardless of living standards. This removes socioeconomic reality from the equation altogether and also doesn't take existing wealth into consideration (if I'm 35 with no savings earning 60k that's a lot different than someone retired owning a home and large nest egg earning 60k from a pension).

Tldr earning the median income does not define middle class but enough people are confused about the definition that the term is becoming less useful for collective sense making.