Interestingly, and falsely I now know, my parents gave me the strong impression that tradesmen and the working class could never climb above lower middle class unless they transitioned to management which was then a white collar position. Not explicitly taught, of course, but very close to it. My father still believes that steelworkers are not middle class. By virtue of being steelworkers, regardless of savings, or homeownership status. It confuses me.

I find this somewhat fascinating. My grandfather was a steelworker. He and my grandmother scrimped and saved to buy the 4-plex they were renting in from her father, and they were probably at best lower middle class.

Of course, that was at a time when it was much easier to own a house than it is today. Salaries were much closer to house prices. I probably couldn't find a house at the same house/salary ratio anywhere within 100 miles of where I currently work. Oddly, even though I also own a house and am probably solidly middle-middle class, I'm not really any better off in terms of debt due to that ratio.