30,000 US dollars a year is poor?

You are either joking, crazy, young, or dont realize over 85% of the Earths population does not earn that

According to my AP Human Geography book, that is pretty poor.

That doesnt mean anything though if your book says that. I guess it depends on how you look at things

Is it difficult to live off that in a 1st world country? Yes.

But its also more than the majority of the human race earns yearly.

Your second sentence (bolded) kind of proves your first point wrong.

It is hard, sure it's more than a lot of people in other countries make but not for the US/other 1st world countries at least.

I, of course, don't know exactly what my parents make but my Dad said that, with his new job, he could be making upwards of 60'000$ soon. My Mom works as a Vets assistant, so she only makes 13$ an hour, or so.

But that's a rough estimate based off many discussions. :P

It doesnt prove my first point wrong at all. The idea of wealth is simply relative.

In US 30,000 isnt that much

But if you lived in Rural China you would have FAR more than almost all your neighbors.

The majority of the Earths population do not live in 1st world countries.

So who is rich and who is poor?

I think this is more of a relatively speaking term. Someone who makes 30,000 a year in NYC is extremely poor but if they make that in russia then they pretty good, if they make that in africa they pretty dang rich.

As for me I am poor relatively as I owe student loans in excess.

Really depends on your perspective ... $34,000 per year will put you in the top 1% of income earners worldwide.

The fact that most people judge their own personal wealth based on the conspicuous consumption of the people around them, or through the massive debts they've built up keeping up with other's conspicuous consumption, most people in the developed world feel "poor" even though they're not.

@farsala

Yeah I agree and that was my original point. The idea of being poor or wealthy is completly relative to your surroundings.

The OP claimed that anyone making 30,000 US dollars a year is poor simply isnt true.

Well... I earn $29 an hour, but I can choose how many hours and what hours to work, so the decision of whether to be poor or not is mine. According to your definition, right now I decided to be poor and have more free time, lol. I think from October or November I will be middle class. I could be rich (again, according to your definition) but I'll pass. I am extremely happy with my life now.

And I agree $2500 a month is not poor. Lower middle class maybe, but how many people (including in the US) would wish they earned that?

I would also argue earning over $5000 a month is not being rich, actually.

Edited, I earn $19 per 40min lesson (I'm an instructor), not per hour. So $29/h. I'm still choosing to be poor though :D