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Here's how much money Americans think you need to be considered rich

Here's how much money Americans think you need to be considered rich

When it comes to defining wealth, Americans are split, with some describing it as a specific dollar amount and others as a state of mind.

That's according to a new survey from Charles Schwab, which asked 1,000 Americans to complete the following sentence: "To me, 'wealth' means ..."

Here are the top five sentiments among those surveyed:

Participants were also asked how much money is required to be considered "wealthy" in America. "Survey respondents say it's an average of $2.4 million," Charles Schwab reports, "or nearly 30 times the actual median net worth of U.S. households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau."

It's a complex question, and, not surprisingly, people have varying opinions on how much you have to earn to be rich .

A 2013 survey from UBS found that only 28 percent of people worth $1 million to $5 million consider themselves wealthy. Sixty percent of those worth $5 million or more said they're wealthy.

During the Occupy Wall Street movement and the discussions of income inequality that followed, "the one percent" became shorthand for wealth: To be in the one percent in America overall, "a family needs an income of $389,436," the Economic Policy Institute reports.

Of course, annual income and net worth are very different. As one couple shows , you and your partner could be making $500,000 a year and still feel like you're struggling.

What is your definition of wealth?

Don't miss: Here's how much you have to earn to be in the top 1% in every US state



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