Though middle class households are pinching their pennies, they still desire homeownership as a means to increase personal wealth, according to a new study by personal finance resource SmartAsset. Researchers looked at the states in which the middle class is the strongest financially, factoring in housing costs, incomes, and job growth, among other criteria. Utah came in at #1, see the chart below:

Source: “Best States for the Middle Class: 2019 Edition,” SmartAsset.com (Nov. 13, 2019)