Fewer Americans Than Ever Consider Themselves Middle Class

44 percent

As President Obama takes the stage Tuesday night to deliver his State of the Union address, he may want to be wary of appealing to the middle class, traditionally politicians' favorite demographic. That's because fewer Americans than ever see themselves that way.

Just 44 percent of Americans say they identify as "middle-class," the lowest share on record, according to a survey released Monday by the Pew Research Center. That's down from 53 percent in 2008, during the first few months of the Great Recession.