depends on a lot of things...

...but you live in chicago so you're still poor.

statistically, middle class accounts for anyone earning a yearly salary of $46,960 to $140,900, but more goes into it that that and it really depends on your lifestyle and where you live.

Are you still eligible for food stamps?

Lower middle class

Is that after tax? Because You'd be posh as hell with 50k after tax, where I live.

Lower middle

Depends on other factors such as where you live. San Francisco compared rural south makes 50K go much differently. Also depends on debt you have and dependents you have.

I would say lower middle to middle depending on these factors.

Depends on were you live. I wouldn't be inclined to say if you were middle class, as I can't know what your living standards are, and how your expensive are.

Money doesn't account for it all. Living with 50k in Cleveland will let you do decent, while 50k will make you scrap for pennies in LA and new york.

Also, many factors should be taken into account. Is it 50k with or without taxes? How many children? Where do you live? Etc etc

Depends on a lot of outside factors:

Where do you live?
Do you have a family?
If so, how large?

I mean, if you're single and living in North Carolina outside of the major urban areas, 50k a year is a healthy living and comfortably within the lower half of the middle class demographic.  If you are living with a spouse and it's just the two of you, 50k is still ok.  When kids come into the picture, starts getting tight.  In New York, you will feel the squeeze a lot more.