What does it take to feel rich in America these days? A quarter of workers earning more than $175,000 consider themselves “very poor” or “poor” – despite being in the top 10% of tax claimants

A quarter of wealthy Americans describe themselves as “very poor” or “poor” — despite earning more than $175,000, a new survey finds.

Salary should be enough to put workers in the top 10 percent of U.S. tax returns, but 25 percent said they felt they were “just about there.”

And half described themselves as just “comfortable” rather than “wealthy” or “very wealthy,” according to Bloomberg who investigated 1,000 Americans earn the salary.

The findings expose the impact of inflation and higher interest rates on the nation’s wealthiest.

Inflation in the US rose to 3.2 percent year on year – a slight increase in July from The annual increase of 3 percent in June – and the cost of many essential expenses, including cars, rent and groceries, remains stubbornly high.

Inflation in the US has risen to 3.2 percent year on year – up slightly in July from June’s annual increase of 3 percent

More than half of respondents said they worry about money, while 25 percent said they don’t think they will be better off financially than their parents.

The survey found that many wealthy Americans had also considered moving to other parts of the country — to join the pandemic exodus from expensive cities to areas with a more affordable cost of living and lower taxes.

The median annual income in the US is $75,203, according to Census Bureau data.

However, Bloomberg found that more than half of respondents with a net worth of $500,000 felt they were “getting by,” and even some millionaires still described themselves as “poor.”

Meanwhile, some Americans with a net worth of more than $5 million still described themselves as “very poor,” “poor,” or “getting by.”

It comes weeks after a separate study found that the average American thinks they should earn $233,000 to feel financially secure.

But to feel rich or gain financial freedom, they think they need more than double that — some $483,000 a year — according to a July report from Bank rate.

Some 72 percent of those surveyed said they didn’t feel safe when it came to money – and the majority blamed an uncertain economy.

About 63 percent pointed to high inflation and 36 percent of people blamed rising interest rates.

The average American thinks he should earn $233,000 to feel financially secure

After pausing rate hikes for the first time in 15 months in June, the central bank unanimously decided in July to raise rates again, pushing benchmark borrowing costs to the highest level in more than two decades.

“Structural or long-term changes have been detrimental to Americans’ ability to manage their personal finances,” said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.

“Where there was a time in the US when a married couple, with children, could get by with a single breadwinner in the house, those days are largely relics of the past.”

The survey found that women say they need a little more than men to feel financially secure — and feel wealthy.

Women think they need to earn $502,400 a year to feel rich, while $465,300 is the salary men said they would need – about eight percent lower.

To feel comfortable, women think they need an average salary of $237,400, versus $229,100 for men.